


Mash-ups of us

by dr_jillianholtzmann



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Chloe Beale - Freeform, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Smut, beca mitchell - Freeform, bechloe - Freeform, friends - Freeform, this is basically everything, this is where I store my prompts and one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-03-20 21:30:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 114,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13726362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dr_jillianholtzmann/pseuds/dr_jillianholtzmann
Summary: This is where I keep all my prompts and one-shots. Ratings will vary.(You can find me on Tumblr: dr-jillianholtzmann)





	1. Laser Tag - T

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: _oooooo how about beca and chloe go play laser tag. One of them corners the other and kisses her after that the person shoots them and walks away :D_
> 
> Rating: T

Whose idea was it to play laser tag again?

Oh right, it was Chloe’s. Of course, it was Chloe’s.

They’d known each other for only a few months now, but Beca knew the other woman well enough by now that only Chloe could come up with something this ridiculous. Seriously. They were too old for this.

However, Chloe was also stubborn, and the co-captain of the Barden Bellas, so nobody was about to say something about it. Besides, it looked like all the others thought it’d be fun. Beca would have preferred to stay locked up in her dorm room, working on her music all afternoon.

Yet, here she was, being handed over a big plastic gun while some guy is tightening the vest around her, its glowing blue lights making her look even more ridiculous.

“You look cute.” Chloe says as she walks over, holding her gun in her right hand.

“Yeah, I’ve decided that I’m going to steal this and just wear it to class.”

“You should.” The other woman answers as she shoots Beca a wink. It’s a thing she does, and Beca should really be getting used to it by now. Still though, she can’t help but blush and duck her head away.

“Do we really have to do this? I look ridiculous.”

Chloe smiles. “Becs, come on! It will be fun, I promise! Plus, I’m going to beat your ass!” She says as she gestures towards her own suit, the red lights flickering.

“We’ll see about that.” She says with a soft smile of her own. Chloe’s not the only one who can tease.

The girls line up before the entrance of the laser tag field. Beca, Fat Amy, Jessica and Aubrey were team blue, and on the other side were Chloe, Ashley, Lilly, Stacie and Cynthia Rose, team red.

The employee repeats the rules to them one final time, before opening up the door to let them in. Immediately, her team sprints towards the back, where their base was. Beca follows, but isn’t really in the mood to run.

“You better sprint, these bitches are going to be shooting at us in five seconds.” Fat Amy says as she runs past Beca.

“I thought you didn’t do horizontal running.” Beca says.  

“Not unless I’m being shot.”

The brunette rolls her eyes, then moves to stand behind some kind of half wall to give herself some protection.

* * *

It gets crazy  _really_  fast. Which isn’t a surprise, of course. Beca knows how competitive they all get.

Within minutes, Fat Amy is on top of Lilly, who’s not even trying to get out from underneath her. Aubrey has Stacie backed up into a corner and is just shooting at her relentlessly while saying something that sounds like ‘my father has spent his entire life preparing me for this moment’. It would be odd if it was anyone else but Aubrey.

Jessica and Ashley are the only was actually running around and coming up with a strategy.. or something. They’re trying to shoot at each other while also making sure they’re hidden and protecting their suit. Cynthia Rose is to her right, looking disinterested but then she shoots once and hits Jessica, who’s all the way on the other side. Guess she’s a good shot.

And Chloe is.. wait.. where in the hell is Chloe?!

Suddenly, her suit beeps loudly and her lights go off.

“Got you!” Chloe yells as she runs past her, her hands in the air, celebrating her victory.

She just sighs, because really.. she feels a little old for this.

Still though, she gets into it. For some reason. It’s mostly fun to watch the others play, but occasionally she’ll duck and hit someone else and it’s surprisingly entertaining to see them try to figure out where the shot came from.

But then, there’s Chloe. Chloe who absolutely won’t, will not, doesn’t stop, shooting at her. She’s hit her about a good thirty, no, thirty-one (thanks Chlo) times before Beca decides she’s had enough.

She moves from her hiding spot and circles around her teammates, carefully and slowly moving towards the other side of the field. It’s not hard to find Chloe, she’s giggling and running around a wall.

Perfect.

Beca suddenly stands up and runs over towards where Chloe is standing. The other woman notices the light of Beca’s vest before she sees her and shoots her. Beca realizes she’s been shot, but right now she doesn’t care. She holds up her hands in defeat and walks even closer. Chloe’s laughing the entire time.

“It’s starting to feel a little personal, Chlo.”

Chloe winks. “Oh yeah, well maybe you’re just really easy to shoot.”

Beca surprises herself by moving forward and pushing Chloe against a wall. She hadn’t meant for this part, but it feels oddly nice. Plus, Chloe’s smiling at her with that stupid grin of hers and Beca just has to beat her in some way.

“Now you can’t shoot me.” Beca says, pressing even closer.

Chloe tries to move her around her, while also trying not to think about how good it feels to have Beca pressed up against her. Shit. The last thing she needs it to get turned on during a game of freaking laser tag.

“Wait. Just- I-“ Chloe says, almost succeeding in getting her gun free from between her and Beca’s bodies. If she can just get it to-

“Shit.” She hears Beca say, realizing what Chloe’s about to achieve, and before she knows it Beca is kissing her. Chloe freezes in her spot, her gun now hanging loosely by her side.

After only a couple of seconds, Beca pulls away with a smirk on her face. She’s pleased to see she’s the one who made Chloe blush this time. Then, she winks at her, lifts her gun, and shoots her. Chloe’s vest beeps and turns off.

“Payback’s a bitch, Beale.”

The brunette walks away from her then, leaving Chloe to just stand there for almost a full minute until the timer goes off and the girls have to head back inside and turn in their gear.

In the end, Beca’s team wins, although Chloe really doesn’t feel like she lost tonight.

* * *

Still though, Chloe wouldn’t be Chloe if she wouldn’t figure out a way to get back at Beca. Because who did she think she was? Just thinking she could randomly push Chloe against a wall, kiss her and then just leave her right there, pretending like nothing had ever happened. That was just not okay.

She waited for the perfect moment, which presented itself about 5 weeks after the laser tag game.

They had been practicing the whole day. After learning that they  _were_  allowed to participate in the finals of that year, the girls had been working hard to practice their songs and dance moves. It had been a lot of work, but they were all just relieved to get a second chance, so nobody was really complaining or losing focus. Not even Beca.

Well, up until a certain moment. Chloe had been watching her the entire day. She knows that Beca’s attention span is short, even more so when she’s doing Bellas stuff. It’s not personal, she knows now, it’s just that Beca gets lost in her own thoughts and kind of drifts off. It hasn’t happened yet so far, but Chloe knows it’s going to happen sometime soon. She gathers the Bellas around and asks them to all please go over the dance routine for ‘price tag’ one last time. They all groan, because yeah, they pretty much know this part by now. Still though, they gather around, Beca taking her spot in the back.

Chloe’s eyes never leave her. Beca’s clearly lost in her thoughts by now. She’s barely doing any of the moves, and Chloe almost feels bad for her. She must be tired by now.

Still though, payback is more important right now. Because that’s what this is all about, payback. Nothing more. Definitely not. Right?

She moves to the back of the group, telling the other girls to continue doing what they’re doing.

Suddenly, she’s in front of Beca, who’s still not making eye contact with her. Without saying a word, she puts her hands on the brunette’s shoulders, causing the other woman to look up at her, surprised by the sudden move.

“Chloe, what are you- I get it okay, you don’t need to show me again.” Beca says, assuming that Chloe wants to guide her arms again to show her the dance move. Except this time, Chloe doesn’t move away from her, or show her what to do. She’s not even talking. She just pushes Beca backward until her back hits the piano and suddenly her lips are pressing against Beca’s. It happens so soon, she doesn’t even know what to do. She figures that’s probably how Chloe felt last time.

“I thought I told you to pay attention. I guess payback’s a bitch huh, Mitchell?” She says with a wink, but it doesn’t quite have the usual effect because Chloe’s face is all flushed and she’s clearly affected by this as much as Beca is.

She understands then. She understands because Chloe’s eyes are lingering on her lips and she’s biting her own bottom lip. Her cheeks are slightly pinker and it’s just… not a look you’d have if you were just ‘kidding around with your friend’.

So Beca follows her instinct. She doesn’t think, doesn’t reconsider. She moves forwards and brings their lips together again. It’s not as quick and innocent as the other two kisses. She presses her own lips against Chloe’s more firmly, and brings her hand up to wrap around the other woman’s neck. Chloe gasps against her, and Beca has to hold herself back to not deepen the kiss, aware of the other girls still around them. She pulls back after about a minute, her face even more flushed.

Chloe’s smiling brightly at her, her arms still wrapped around Beca’s waist.

“If this is payback for not paying attention, I’m never listening to you ever again.” Beca says with a smirk and a wink.

“Or maybe we just forget about the payback all together and continue doing this tonight when I take you out on a date?”  

Beca smiles. “Deal.”


	2. Cheer you up - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Can you do a fic where Chloe is really sad and Beca tries to cheer her up pleaseee?_
> 
> Rating: T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy!

She was tired.  _So_  tired. They had just gotten back from the retreat yesterday, which had been.. eventful.. to say the least.

Too much singing, too much fighting, too many weird conversations and definitely too many people in one tent.

The worst thing was, that getting home had only been worse. All she wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep for about 24 hours straight. But no, she had her stupid internship and stupid Jesse who had decided that during all of this bullshit, it was the perfect time to break up with her. Great. Because he apparently just couldn’t deal with the fact that she had always ‘Bellas stuff, or internship stuff, or Chloe stuff’ his words, not hers.  

So Jesse left Beca, and Beca was late for her internship, and then there was still the tension between her and the other Bellas, even though they had talked about it. She still felt like they just didn’t get it, didn’t get why she was doing it. Honestly though, right now, she didn’t know either.

So there she was, laying on her bed, just glad that the day was over. The internship hadn’t been too horrible, thank god. But now she had to work on the mix for their worlds performance as well as some extra stuff. Plus, currently, someone was screaming her name.

“Beca, Beca, BECA!”

“Oh my god, what is it?” Beca asked as she slipped the headphones from her ears and around her neck.

Amy walked into her room, looking more distressed than usual. “You gotta come help us.”

She rolled her eyes. “What happened now? Did Stacie lock another guy up in the basement? Did Jessica burn dinner again? Or did Cynthia Rose lose more money in another game of poker? I told you before, I’m not the person you should come to for this kind of stuff. I’m like- the  _last_ person you want to ask for help. I’m not- I’m not great with that stuff.”

“Trust us, we know.”

“Well then,” Beca said as she sat up in her bed, “What’s up?”

“Chloe’s crying.”

Ugh. Really?

Another roll of her eyes. “Did she watch that video about the puppies again?” Beca asked as she stared at her best friend.

Amy just shrugged in response.

“Dude!” Beca then said, assuming that meant yes, “Just tell her not to watch those again. I’ve told her a million times in the past. Plus, why do you need me for that?”

“First of all, shorty, you have Chloe have that weird thing going on,” She said as she made a gesture with her hands.

“Chloe and I do not have a ‘thing’ going on.”

“Sure, sure, and neither do me and Bumper.” Amy said with a wink. “Anyways,” She then continued, ignoring Beca’s hard stare, “It’s not that. She won’t talk to us, we tried.”

Beca sighed deeply, then finally pushed herself up from the bed. “Alright then. But just so you know, I’m only doing this for the sake of everyone else. Not because Chloe and I have a—“

“—Thing going on, yes, you told me.”

With one final eye roll, Beca is out of the room and on her way down to the first floor the Bellas house, where Chloe’s room is.  

She knocked on the door once, but there was no response. Which was unusual. Normally, by now, Chloe would have had the door open and Beca in her arms already.

“Chlo?” She said, a little louder this time as she knocked on the door again. When Chloe didn’t respond once more, Beca decided to take action.

“I’m just gonna come in, okay? If you don’t want me to, you can tell me now.” She waited for a second or two before turning the knob and entering the room.

She knew something was wrong in an instant. Like, yeah, obviously something was wrong because she knew Chloe was crying. But like, not ‘cute puppy video’ crying. It was actual, ‘Beca doesn’t know what to do about this’ crying.

“Hey. Uh. Hey.” She said as she slowly made her way over towards the bed Chloe was currently laying on. “Chlo. Are you okay?” Beca asked, sitting down behind her friend.

“Just leave me alone, Beca.” Chloe answered, not bothering to turn around. Her voice sounds hoarse from all the crying, and it makes Beca’s heart ache.

“See,” She started, “normally I would gladly do that. You know this is not my thing. However, the fact that you just asked me to go away means that I  _really_ shouldn’t.”

“Please.” Chloe pleaded.

Beca didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t about to leave, of course, no matter how uncomfortable she was feeling right now. However, Chloe had never not talked to her about something. The redhead was known for being open, and direct. In the beginning, it was scary to Beca, because she was the opposite. However, she’d grown to love it. It was nice to have someone in her life who was always honest with her, always telling her exactly how they felt.

“Is it something I did, because if it is, I’m sorry.” She paused and then added. “This is not still about the internship, right? Because I thought we talked about that.”  

“No. It’s not about that.” Chloe said, then sighed deeply. She finally turned around on the bed, making eye contact with Beca as she did so. The brunette’s heart clenched painfully in her chest as she noticed how red Chloe’s eyes looked. She must have been crying for a long time before Beca arrived.

“You don’t even know what you’re apologizing for.”

“Yeah, but I know myself and it was probably something insensitive and ignorant, but I’m also sure I didn’t mean it. You know me, I’m an asshole, but I never mean it. Okay?”

Chloe just shrugged. “It not- you didn’t- It’s not your fault.”

“But it is about me?” Beca asked, now starting to wonder what was really going on.

The redhead took another deep breath, clearly struggling with herself.

“Chlo, just tell me, okay?”

She shook her head. “No, I uh- I’ll be okay. Can you just leave, please?”

Beca looked over towards the door, not sure what to do for a split second. She could see Chloe following her gaze, and when she looked back down, fresh tears had started to fall down her friend’s face. There was no way in hell she was leaving now. Chloe might have told her to go, but everything about her screamed _stay._

“Then don’t talk to me, that’s fine. You don’t have to. But,” She said as she moved under the covers and gestured to Chloe to turn around, “I’m not going anywhere.”

The redhead looked unsure for a second, then nodded and turned around. Beca took a deep breath herself and then slipped in behind Chloe. ‘Come on, Beca. You got this. Now is not the time to freak out about the fact that you’re hugging Chloe Beale - which was your decision, by the way -  _in a bed_. Nope. Just. You got it.’ She thought to herself as she wrapped an arm around Choe and pulled her closer. This wasn’t the time for “Is this okay?” or “Can I hug you?”. No, Beca just knew she wanted to hold her friend because Chloe needed it. She could put her own feelings aside for now.

Then, feeling extra brave, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Chloe’s neck. The redhead sniffled and intertwined their fingers together.

They laid in silence for a little while until Beca felt the need to break it. Not that it was getting awkward, in fact, it was actually really nice, but she just wanted to do  _something_.

_“I’m bulletproof nothing to lose.  
Fire away, fire away..”_

Beca started to sing, noticing how Chloe began to shake in her arms as more tears fell down her cheeks and onto the bedsheets. “Oh. I’m sorry. I thought it would—“

“—Don’t stop.”

“Oh. Okay.”

 _“Ricochet, you take your aim._  
Fire away, fire away…   
You shoot me down but I won’t fall, I am titanium.  
You shoot me down but I won’t fall. I am titanium…”

Her voice faded away and the silence returned between them. The only sound she could hear was Chloe’s soft crying.

“I made it worse.” Beca said, as she used her free hand to move Chloe’s hair from her neck, then softly stroked the skin she found. She pressed her lips against it once more. “I’m sorry. I don’t- I can’t help you if you won’t talk to me, Chloe. I’m really sorry for what I did.”

Chloe turned around, facing her again. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

The brunette frowned. “Then why are you mad at me?”

“I’m not. I mean, I shouldn’t.”

“I’m confused. Come on, Chloe. You know me. I need a little more than this.”

The redhead nodded. “I’m sorry. This isn’t fair to you.”

“It’s not about what’s fair, I just want to help.” Beca said, sounding more honest than she had ever before. No joking, no sarcastic comment, no protecting herself with an eye roll or insensitive and hurtful comment that she doesn’t actually mean.

“Okay then, but you have to promise that you won’t hate me.”

Beca smiled at her, pleased to see that Chloe at least somewhat returned the smile. “Like I could ever.”

Chloe took a deep breath before she finally started. Beca couldn’t help but notice how she avoided eye contact, something that Chloe barely ever did. It was more Beca’s thing, the avoiding in general. People, her feelings, eye contact, hugs.. all that stuff.

“So, back at the retreat—“

“—This  _is_  about my internship!” Beca interrupted, noticing how Chloe shook her head.

“It’s not, I promise.”

“Okay, sorry. Continue then.” Beca said with a grin, trying to ease some of the tension in the room.

The redhead smiled softly in response before continuing. “So, back at the retreat- God, this is stupid. I feel so stupid… I should just—“

“—Chloe.”

“Right. Okay. I just.. I’m confused by you. All the day. I can never figure out what you think.”

Beca smiled nervously. “Honestly? Neither can I.”

“Becs.”

“I know. I know what you mean. I’m just.. I’m trying. Honestly.”

Chloe chuckled. “I know, but I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I’d never want you to change. I just- sometimes I wish I knew what you were thinking. It’s like.. I think it’s one thing and then the next   
second I’m not so sure anymore.” 

The brunette nodded. “I’m—“

“—Don’t say you’re sorry. Please. It’s not a bad thing, Beca. Really. I always like getting under your skin and trying to figure you out. You know, push your buttons and stuff.” 

Beca laughed. “Yeah, I know.”

“So, anyways, I thought that maybe there was something there. Between us, I mean.”

The younger woman opened her mouth to say something but Chloe held up her hand, stopping her. “Please. I need to get this out. I’m not an idiot. I know you have Jesse. But uh- I don’t know It just seems like you always hate me slightly less than anyone else.”

Beca smiled. “I don’t hate any of you.”

“Of course. But I’m just saying.. you duck away when Amy tries to hug you, or Stacie, or really anyone. But with me it’s different. You don’t seem to mind, really. You kind of started leaning into it, actually. And then every time I look across the room you’re just looking at me, and you smile that annoyingly beautiful smile you used to only give to Jesse. But now it’s me, and it’s me you’re hanging out with late and night, and not him. It’s  _me_  you come to when there’s something going on, or when you just need to talk. Becs, you watched a  _movie_ with me the other day! You suggested it!”

Beca just stared at her, unsure what to do about this. She wasn’t exactly sure why she did all that stuff, hadn’t even noticed she did most of it. It was starting to make sense now why Jesse always complained about Chloe. She never quite got it in the past, but maybe he had a point. “I uh- I don’t know why I do that, Chloe.”

“And I honestly believe you don’t. I mean, maybe you just don’t realize.”

There was a silence between them, and suddenly Beca got it. “Is this about what happened in the tent?”

The other woman nodded.

“I thought you were joking, Chlo.” She responded, “I mean, that’s such a typical ‘Chloe’ thing to say… no offense.”

She chuckled. “None taken. Honestly, I thought I was joking too. But then, when you brushed me off, I realized that maybe I wasn’t joking. Because it kind of hurt my feelings. So maybe I wasn’t joking, and maybe I wasn’t joking when I jumped into the shower with you and winked at you all those times, and maybe I wasn’t joking when I said that I think we have something special, or when I tell you to just sleep in my bed when it’s really late because your room is just  _so_  far away. And maybe.. maybe I wasn’t joking when I said that you should just—“ She cut herself off then, unsure if she should continue.

“Should what? Just tell me.” Beca pushed, wanting to hear the end of this.

Chloe took a deep breath. She had probably already ruined whatever they had anyways, she might as well say this. “Maybe I wasn’t kidding that time when you couldn’t hang out with me and I told you  that you should just break up with Jesse.”

They’re both quiet then. That’s a lot to deal with.

“I’m sorry.” Chloe said. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Jesse broke up with me yesterday.”

Chloe finally met Beca’s eyes. For the first time since this conversation started, she was actually looking at her.

“What? Why? Are you- I know I said a bunch of stuff just now that would contradict me being really sorry for you, but I am. Bec, are you okay?”

The brunette smiled. Because of course, Chloe would be as selfless as she is right now. It’s so Chloe. It’s exactly why Beca likes her so much.

“No, it’s uh- It’s okay. I think I kind of knew it was going to happen sooner or later. I never really committed to the relationship. I never knew why. I mean, not until recently.”

She took a breath and then smiled at her best friend. “I’m glad you weren’t joking.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m glad you weren’t joking, about all those things.”

Chloe started to smile. It was tentatively, because she really,  _really_  didn’t want to get her hopes up. But then, again, how else could she interpret this?

“Really?”

“Yes, Chlo. I mean, I didn’t know until not too long ago. I didn’t know why I liked it when you hugged me, or why I never, not even for a second, got sick of staring at you from across the room. I didn’t understand why, for some reason, I could not stop smiling when I was with you. It annoyed me.”

“I’m sure.” Chloe chuckled.

“I didn’t know why I always brushed Jesse off because I ‘wanted to be alone’ only to end up sleeping in your room, talking until 3 am and not feeling for a second like I wanted to be by myself. I didn’t know, not at first. Then when I did I realized that there was nothing I could really do about it. I was with Jesse, and you were just.. you were you. You do that stuff with everyone.”

The redhead smiled softly. She understood. She could see how that might be confusing for someone else, especially Beca. She just had a lot of love to give.

“Then Jesse told me yesterday that part of the reason he was breaking up with me was because of you. I guess I realized that it was more than just a silly crush if someone was going to actually break up with me because of it.”

Alright, it was definitely time to get her hopes up now.

“So please, don’t be sad, and don’t regret saying it to me. Just.. I’m glad you weren’t joking, is all.”

Chloe smiled brightly now. She reached out under the covers and found Beca’s hand. Without hesitation, she intertwined their fingers together and gave Beca’s hand a squeeze. “I can’t believe you just told me all of that.”

“I know,” Beca said with an eye roll, “I think maybe Amy put something in my drink before I got here or something.”

“I’m glad you told me.”

“Me too.”

They were smiling at each other for a long time before Chloe dared to take the next step. “Now what?”

“Now you say that ‘I look so cute you could just kiss me’” Beca said, mocking Chloe’s voice, “Except this time, you aren’t kidding.”

The redhead grinned. “That sounds like a plan to me.”

Chloe connected their lips and realized that out of all the regrets she has, the one she regrets the most is not having done this sooner. Luckily though, she won’t have to ever again anymore. Beca is here, and she’s hers.  _Finally_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can send me prompts on Tumblr: dr-jillianholtzmann


	3. Make Me - E

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Beca and Chloe are bickering. Chloe tells Beca to shut up and Beca says “make me!” So Chloe kisses her. If it lead to things other than kissing that wouldn’t be upsetting either..._
> 
> Rating: E

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like it!

“I thought we agreed Wednesday’s were  _your_ days!”

“Uh, I don’t think so. I think I’d remember. You have Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I have Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. We had this conversation last week!” Beca yelled back, crossing her arms and glaring at her best friend.

“You know we could also just-“

“-Not now Amy!” They both said at the same.

“Alright well, I’m not gonna wait for you skinny bitches to figure this out. I’ll just get some food somewhere else.” Amy responded.

“No! You can’t, because..” Chloe started, directing her anger at her other friend now, “Because we’re a family and you can’t! This is just what we do!”

“Uh,” Amy started, holding up her hands, “Listen, you two, I don’t think you’ve noticed but this is not my thing. I’m not a part of this. I’m barely ever here anyways. So I’m gonna do what I always do and go. You guys figure this out.” She leaves then, leaving only an empty silence between the two of them.

“God fucking damnit.” Beca cursed, then threw the towel she had been holding onto the floor. “I don’t even care anymore, I’m starving. I’m just going to go out too, I guess. I’ll bring you back something, if you want.”

“No, Beca, wait.” Chloe answered, reaching out to grab Beca’s arm. “Why don’t we just cook together or something?”

“Oh my god.” Beca said, burying her head in her arms as she leaned on the kitchen counter. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“What? Why is this  _such_ a big deal to you? You know what? Forget about it, I’ll just cook.”

“No it’s not- That’s not even it!” The brunette responded as she raised her voice again. “I mean, look at us, Chlo!”

The redhead shrugged, and for a second Beca was mesmerized. How did Chloe manage to look this good, even when she was mad and upset. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Becs.”

“I’m talking about this!” Beca said as she gestured between them. “This is ridiculous! Why do we have cooking days? Why do we do each other’s laundry? Why do I always wake up with you wrapped around me in the middle of the night?”

“Because,” Chloe started, blushing slightly now “We’re roommates, and best friends. You do that stuff for each other!”

“Really?” Beca asked, a teasing smirk now on her face. “You’re sure about that? You think I just go around washing all of Amy’s clothes. You think she and I have shared a toothbrush for a month once because we were both too lazy to buy a new one. You think she’s kissing my cheek in the morning while she untangles herself from my body.”

“You noticed that?” Chloe asked, her voice soft all of the sudden.

“Of course I noticed. I’m not an idiot, Chlo. You think I don’t notice how you look at me from across the room every single chance you get. Or how you always try to get the spot next to me when we’re with all the girls? Or do you think I don’t know how—“

“Just shut up, Beca.” Chloe said, feeling embarrassed and exposed. She said it with a smile though, because, for some reason, her anger had faded.

“Make me.” The brunette fired back playfully. Chloe knew for sure that the other woman probably just meant it as a teasing comment, but she took the bait anyways.

She pushed forward until she crashed into Beca, their lips finding each other instantly. She then proceeded to walk them back until they crashed into the kitchen counter. Beca gasped, causing Chloe to pull back from the kiss.

The brunette was laughing instantly, trying to lighten the mood between what she thought was clearly a payback joke from Chloe. No matter how good it had felt.

However, when she looked at her best friend’s face she realized that she had been wrong.

“Oh shit,” she said, “You weren’t kidding.”   
  
Chloe blushed. “No uh- I guess I wasn’t. I’m sorry.”

“Wait, I- No. That’s good.”

The redhead frowned. “I’m confused.”

Beca sighed deeply, then reached out to hold Chloe’s hand, pulling her closer again. “It’s good that you weren’t kidding.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Now make me shut up again.”

“Gladly.” Chloe repeated with a smile on her face. The smile faded as she brought their lips together again, softer this time.

Beca, however, seemed to disagree with that decision. She pressed her lips more firmly against Chloe’s before turning them around and pressing the older woman against the counter.

“Shit.” Beca cursed as she pressed herself fully against Chloe.

“Are you okay?” Chloe asked between kisses, a teasing smile on her face.

“Uh, not really.” The brunette responded as she stared deep into Chloe’s now darkened eyes. “You just- fuck. I uh- I’ve wanted this for a really long time.”

Chloe smiled. “Me too. So how about we stop talking and get back to kissing?”

“Yeah. Good idea. Let’s do that.” Beca responded, then connected their lips again. This time, when Chloe moaned, she deepened the kiss and her tongue met Chloe’s. she slowly kissed the other woman until her breaths were starting to become shallow, then bit her lower lip and started kissing her with even more passion.

She pressed herself closer to the other woman, then moved her hands down so she could grab Chloe’s thighs. Beca bent down and pulled Chloe up, noticing how the other gasped into the kiss when she realized she was being lifted off the floor and onto the counter. She always assumed Beca was stronger than she seemed, but this just blew her away.

“Becs. Fuck.” She said breathlessly as Beca now placed herself between her legs.

“God. I can’t handle it when you curse.” The brunette responded as she pushed Chloe’s legs even further apart to make herself more comfortable between them, while her mouth started kissing a path down Chloe’s neck. The redhead moaned loudly when Beca found  _that_ spot and she couldn’t help but let her hips grind into Beca.

“Seriously Chlo.” Beca said, pulling back once more. “Stop doing that or I won’t be able to stop.”

The redhead smirked at her. “Well,” She said as she rolled her hips forward once more, before bending down to press a kiss to Beca’s lips. “Maybe I don’t want you to stop.”

“Shit. Okay. Uh- okay.” Beca said, barely even realizing what was happening right now. All she knew was that she wanted Chloe, and she wanted her now. She moved her hands around the redhead’s waist. “Hold on.” She whispered, then pulled Chloe forward and made sure the other woman had wrapped her legs around her before she walked away from the kitchen counter and carried her over towards their bed. She carefully let the other woman fall down onto it before joining her, laying down between Chloe’s already open legs, letting herself grind her hips into the older girl’s.

“Please don’t stop.” Chloe said, her breathing even more uneven now.

Beca pressed her lips against Chloe’s neck again and began sucking at her pulse point. She was aware that she was leaving a mark, but honestly, she didn’t even care at this point. It wasn’t like she was going to ever let Chloe go anymore anyways. She might as well mark her neck. It seemed to have a positive effect on the other girl too. Her hands were currently tangled up in Beca’s hair, keeping her close and pressed against her.

The brunette moved her hand down over Chloe’s blouse to cover a breast. She squeezed the flesh she found, groaning when she could feel how hard Chloe’s nipple was, even through her shirt. “God, Chloe.”

“Please.” The redhead said, moving up so she could start unbuttoning her shirt. Beca tried to push her hands away to take over, but Chloe shook her head and then gestured towards Beca’s own shirt. “Take yours off.”

The DJ nodded in response, then quickly pulled her own shirt over her head, leaving her in only her bra. When she looked down she noticed that Chloe’s upper body was now bare too, except for her bra. “Fuck Chloe, you’re so beautiful.” Beca said as she moved her hands over Chloe’s breasts again. When her fingers moved over the redhead’s nipple, Chloe moaned loudly and arched her back. Beca quickly realized she was losing patience and apparently, so was Chloe. She reached behind the girl, making eye contact for a second to make sure it was okay, before unclasping the bra and pulling the material away.

She just stared in awe for a few seconds, causing the other woman to chuckle. “You can touch me, you know. In fact, I kinda really want you to.” Chloe said when she realized Beca wasn’t doing anything.

“I know, I just- give me a sec.” Beca said, then waited another extra second just to tease the other woman.

“Okay. Yeah. I’m good now.” She said with a smirk, then bend down instantly and wrapped her lips around one of Chloe’s nipples. The redhead moaned again, arching her back off the bed while trying to keep Beca as close to her as possible.

Beca kissed and sucked Chloe’s nipple until she felt the other woman becoming impatient underneath her. She was rolling her hips against Beca’s more intentionally now, letting the other woman know how desperate she was for her touch.

The brunette moved up so that she could kiss Chloe again, and while she was doing so, she moved her hand between the redhead’s legs.

The older woman gasped immediately. “Oh my god, Beca.” She moaned, rolling her hips against Beca’s hand, trying to get as much pressure as she could.

The brunette smirked and pressed her hand firmer against Chloe. Even through her jeans she could tell how turned on the other woman was. She pressed her fingers down against Chloe’s clit, and immediately she groaned. “Beca-“ She said, unable to finish her sentence as Beca kept pressing and moving her fingers in circles now.

“Beca I-“ She tried again, but once again she couldn’t finish her own sentence.

Beca started kissing Chloe’s neck, and finally, Chloe found the strength to push her away. Beca looked confused for a second, but then she made eye contact with Chloe and she understood.

“Shit.” She cursed, then moved her hands down to yank Chloe’s pants and underwear down.

“Please, Becs. Make me come. I’m  _so_ close.” Chloe begged, glad that her pants were off. The last thing she wanted was to come in her pants, but she almost couldn’t help herself.

Beca instantly pushed two fingers inside Chloe. “Fuck Chlo, you’re so wet.”

“All for you.” She responded, her breaths short and erratic.

The younger woman moved her thumb down to press into the other woman’s clit, causing Chloe to clench around her. She moved her hand away then, because Chloe wasn’t going to get off that easily. “Beca,  _please._ I can’t hold on much longer.” Normally, she’d be ashamed, but she was way too turned on right now to even think about that.

“You just feel so good, Chloe.” Beca answered, then moved her thumb over Chloe’s clit again.

She held on for another minute or two before she started clenching around Beca’s fingers again. “Beca- I- I can’t.”

“I know,” Beca responded, feeling how tight Chloe was right now, “come for me.”

The redhead finally let go, rocking her hips so that she was basically fucking herself on Beca’s hand. It made the other woman moan, rocking her own hips into the bed below her, suddenly realizing how close she was herself.

“Fuck Becs, I’m gonna- I’m gonna- Oh my god!” Chloe yelled, her pussy clenching hard around Beca’s fingers. Her whole body stiffened, with her mouth open but no sound coming out. It lasted for a good thirty seconds before she finally started to relax. Beca wasn’t ready for this to be over though. She moved her mouth from Chloe’s down to her body until she made contact with her clit.

Chloe, who had not been expecting the contact, shuddered violently and clenched around Beca’s fingers once more. “Beca, Becs, I can’t.”

“I think you can.” Beca said as she started to lick Chloe’s clit while she slowly moved her fingers in and out of Chloe again.

“OH god.” Chloe said, already feeling on the brink of a second orgasm. She came soon after, moaning loudly and clenching hard around Beca’s fingers once more. Just when she started to relax, she opened her eyes and realized that Beca was moaning loudly and grinding her hips into the bed.

“Beca, are you-?” She asked as she pushed herself up on her elbows while Beca removed her fingers from her pussy.

“Almost.” The brunette answered, continuing her grinding. She was way too close to stop now.

Apparently, Chloe had other plans though. “Wait,” she said, “Let me. Please. I want to do this.”

She pulled Beca closer to her and rolled her onto her back, then instantly moved her hand between her legs. “I can’t- I can’t wait.” Beca said, realizing she was still mostly dressed. Right now though, she didn’t care.

“I know. It’s okay.” Chloe said, pressing harder against Beca through her jeans.

“Fuck! I’m coming, I’m coming!” Beca screamed as she rocked herself hard against Chloe’s hand while she came. It felt good, really good, but definitely not good enough because she wanted Chloe to actually touch her. She wanted to feel the other woman.

As soon as she was done, she pulled her own pants and underwear down while Chloe took off her bra.  

The redhead’s hands found their way between Beca’s legs, teasing her outer lips and feeling the wetness. “Beca, oh my god.” She moaned as she felt the wetness.

“Please touch me.” Beca responded.

“I am touching you.”

“Chloe.”

The other woman finally gave in, her fingers rolling tight and hard circles on Beca’s clit for a second before slipping into her wetness.

“Yesss.” Beca moaned. “Don’t stop.”

“Not planning to.” Her thumb found Beca’s clit and started to rub circles again.

“God Chloe, please.”

“Come for me, Beca.” Chloe said, leaning down to whisper it in the other girl’s ear before leaning down to kiss Beca. It was sloppy and messy, but it was everything Beca needed, and she was coming instantly. She clenched hard around the redhead’s fingers before finally slowing down and relaxing.

“That was amazing.” Chloe said as she fell down beside Beca, pulling the other girl into her arms. Beca wasn’t even complaining about the hug this time, just wrapped an arm around Chloe’s waist and pulled her even tighter against her.

“You’re amazing.” Beca said, pressing a soft kiss against Chloe’s neck. “I’m so glad this happened.”

“Me too.” Chloe responded, then leaned down to reach the blankets. She pulled them over the two of them while they both laid in silence for a while, just enjoying the other’s company.

Suddenly, their silence was disturbed as Amy came bursting through the door. Shit, they really should have texted her not to come home or something.

“Oh. Hello.” The Australian girl said as she noticed her two best friends in bed together, clearly naked.

“Oh shit.” Beca cursed under her breath, trying to slide further underneath the covers.

“I guess you two finally found something to eat then, huh?”

Oh god. They were definitely never leaving this bed ever again..


	4. Perfect - G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Based off the song perfect by ed Sheeran maybe some fluff cause today is a bad day_
> 
> Rating: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! 
> 
> As always, you can send me prompts on Tumblr: dr-jillianholtzmann

“It’s too late.”

“It’s never too late.”

Beca kept repeating those words over and over in her mind. She kept thinking about them, unsure but determined not to give up now. Because even if she was too late, wasn’t it still worth trying? Wasn’t too late still better than never?

* * *

Beca Mitchell was in love with Chloe Beale. Had been for forever. With soft smiles and hugs and uncomfortable showers she had realized that maybe, this girl wasn’t too bad. Then, with tighter hugs and smiles that were directed especially towards her, she considered Chloe a friend. Finally, with coffees in the morning, late night conversations and waking up to her best friend wrapped around her in the middle of the night while her stomach was doing back flips, she realized that she loved her. She loved her and it started all those years ago, like a flame growing and burning inside of her, only getting brighter and stronger each day.

When she realized, finally, it was right before they left for the USO tour. It was weird, how it happened, that is. Because it wasn’t something big like you’d expect. It wasn’t like Chloe kissed her (even though she was pretty sure the other girl wanted to), or said something extra flirtatious or hugged really tight. It wasn’t any of that. It was small.

“Hey, Bec. I’ll be home late tonight, okay? You don’t have to wait for me.”

“I know, it’s Thursday, you’re always late on Thursday.” Beca had answered, missing the surprised look on her friend’s face. “Just text me when you think you’ll be home and I’ll get started on dinner.  I don’t mind waiting. Good luck today.”

“Uh.. thanks. I’ll see you later.”

“See you later, Chlo.”

Chloe had walked over and kissed her on her cheek, like she did every morning, before disappearing through the door of their shared apartment. Beca didn’t move for twenty minutes, just stood there in the middle of the room, realizing she was in love with her best friend. When had she become the person who cooks and cares this much for someone else? She had never done any of that stuff for Jesse, not once.

So, Beca loves Chloe.

And she doesn’t tell her.

She doesn’t tell her when Chloe leans in close and jokes about how she could just kiss Beca right now, because she really didn’t have to drive all the way across town to drop off the lunch she had forgotten. She doesn’t tell her when they’re playing truth or dare and Stacie asks her if she’s ever had a crush on any of the Bellas. She doesn’t tell Chloe when they’re laying in bed alone, and Chloe says that she has feelings for someone and she thinks that person might be feeling the same thing. She doesn’t tell her, although she  _knows._

She doesn’t tell her until it’s too late…

* * *

Chloe kisses Chicago.

She kisses Chicago and Beca gets a job and that’s the end of their lives together. A broken puzzle. Their lives have been locked together for such a long time but now, someone else came by and tore them apart. They’ll have to be separate now; living as lone pieces that were always meant to be together, but never quick stuck.

It’s not the end of the world, she knows. They’ll always have each other, in a way.

And she’s okay with that for a little while, until she’s not. Chloe tells her she’s going to move out. It’s time and she has Chicago and Beca has her life and her new job and frankly, it would be weird if they stayed like this. It’s not the same anymore anyway now that their pieces aren’t together anymore. Their rhythm is off. They miss each other in the mornings, and then at night someone is usually already asleep, or hasn’t eaten yet but the other has. It’s just- it’s not the same.

She thinks she can do this. Tells herself she can for a long time. She’s strong and independent, and she’s never really needed anyone in her life anyways. She’s good at that, keeping people at a safe distance so that she won’t have to be in pain when they leave. She had enough of that when she was younger. But then Chloe is packing her stuff in boxes and she picks up a picture of the two of them, stares at it for a bit before putting it down on Beca’s side of the bed. “That’s for you to keep.” Chloe says softly, and it breaks her heart. It breaks her heart because this is exactly what she didn’t want.

She almost wants to tell her in that moment. But then she doesn’t, because there’s too much at stake now. They might have been just kids when they fell in love, but they were adults now, and adults aren’t reckless. If only Beca had just told her in college, it would have been fine. It would have been fine because Chloe only had Tom (although not really) and Beca had Jesse but that was never much. They could have gone for it, without giving up too much. It would have been easy.

But now? Now they had lives. They have jobs and careers and serious boyfriends to think about and it isn’t so easy anymore. They aren’t kids anymore.

So she lets her go.

* * *

They see each other again a couple months later. She doesn’t even know for sure how much time has passed because the days seem to blend together.

When they see each other again everything is different, yet so painfully the same. They’re the same. Chloe is the same person she always was. Bright smiles and tight hugs and a whispered “I missed you,” in her ear. It’s the same, but not really. Their pieces still fit, but not as easily.

She finally confesses it to Amy that night. They all got a little drunk, because that’s what you do on a reunion, and she told her. Her friend wasn’t surprised, of course, just relieved that Beca finally told her.

“It’s too late.” Beca whispers, not even trying to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.

“It’s never too late.” Amy answers, seriously this time. She knows that this isn’t the time to joke around.

“But she has Chicago, and a life, and I don’t know how I fit into that.”

“You will. You always will. Besides, and you have to promise me that you can’t tell anyone you heard this from me, they broke up.”

“What?” Beca asks, trying not to sound too hopeful, “When?”

“Two months ago, I think.”

“Wow. I wonder why she didn’t tell me.”

“She probably wonders why you didn’t ask.”

“I’m-“

“I’m not saying you’re not a good friend, Beca. You just need to talk to her.”

Beca sighs deeply. “That’s the thing though, I don’t know how. I never have. I can’t do any of this.”

Amy rolls her eyes. “Then sing.”

The brunette huffs, then rolls her eyes.

“I’m not kidding,” Amy says, “You did it for Jesse, right? It works for you. You’re a DJ because that’s where you can release your emotions or whatever. This would make perfect sense. Plus, this is Chloe we’re talking about. She’ll love it! I mean, she barged into your shower just to hear you sing-“

“How do you know about that?” Beca interrupts, genuinely curious.

“That’s not the point. I’ve seen the way you two are around each other. I had to live in that hell for two years, so it’s about time you do something about it.”

Beca stays quiet for a little bit, then smiles softly. “Yeah, uh.. maybe I’ll do that.”

* * *

Surprisingly, she doesn’t change her mind.

Maybe it’s because she’s tired, or maybe it’s because she really doesn’t have much to lose anymore.

Maybe she can be a kid again, just for a little while; reckless and in love with her best friend, not caring about consequences or obligations.

On the last day of their little ‘Bellas reunion vacation’, she knocks on the door of Chloe’s hotel room. It’s not even 8pm yet, but when Chloe opens the door she looks exhausted.

“Beca,” She says, a little breathless. “What are you doing here? And why are you so dressed up?” Chloe asks as she notices the black suit Beca is wearing. It’s beautiful, Beca looks absolutely amazing.

The brunette smiles nervously. “I’m done.”

“You’re done?”

“I’m done thinking ‘what if’, I’m doing being afraid, I’m done making excuses.”

Chloe frowns. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She chuckles then. “Uh yeah, neither do I. But uh- I figured I would..” She trails off, suddenly feeling nervous. Should she really do this?

“I figured I’d sing to you, if that’s okay.”

Chloe stares at her for a few seconds before nodding slowly. She opens the door to let Beca into her room, but the brunette shakes her head. “Not uh- not here. I want to do this properly.”

She holds out her hand and Chloe takes it right away. Even their hands fit perfectly together.

“Where are we going?” The redhead asks her, feeling like she should whisper even though there’s no real reason to do so.

“You’ll see.” Beca says as they step on the elevator towards the basement of the hotel.

“Beca! That’s not allowed, it’s only for parties and-“

“Just trust me, okay?”

“Okay. Yeah, of course I trust you.”

It’s so easy, to be with her. It’s easy and familiar and different but maybe not in a bad way. She thought that it was, but maybe they’ve just grown. She thought that they had bent, went into different directions, no longer fitting together. Maybe she’d been wrong.

Beca guides them out of the elevator, never letting go of Chloe’s hand as they move towards the large ballroom the hotel has. “Wait, Beca, that’s not-“ Chloe says as she gestures towards the sign on the door that says ‘Reserved for private party’.

The DJ ignores her and pushes the doors open, soft piano music welcoming them into an empty room. It’s large, all chairs and tables pushed aside, leaving an empty dance floor in the middle. Only one chair has remained, empty in the middle of the floor. There are flowers everywhere, roses to be specific, and the lights are dimmed. It’s absolutely breathtaking.

“I don’t think we’re supposed to be here.” Chloe tries again, attempting to pull Beca back. The brunette ignores her though, walking further into the room. Chloe notices the microphone now, along with the two people on the stage next to it. They’re musicians, one holding a guitar and the other sitting behind a piano.

“Good evening, Miss Mitchell.”

“Good evening.” She responds, and Chloe’s heart suddenly starts beating faster in her chest.

“What are you doing?” She asks, feeling herself starting to tear up.

“What I should have done a  _long_ time ago.” Beca responds, then gestures towards the chair. “Here, sit down. Watch.”

The redhead does, because she’s honestly too overwhelmed right now to argue.

Beca makes her way over towards the small stage, turns around and nods at the gentlemen behind her. The music starts. The second Beca opens her mouth, Chloe feels all the air leave her lungs.

_**“I found a love for me.** _

_**Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead.** _

_**Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet.** _

_**Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me.”** _

Beca sings, maintaining eye contact with Chloe the whole time. She can see the tears streaming down her friend’s face, and for a second she’s worried she’s made a mistake, but then Chloe smiles brightly and she continues on.

_**“Cause we were just kids when we fell in love,** _

_**Not knowing what it was.** _

_**I will not give you up this time.** _

_**But darling, just kiss me slow.** _

_**Your heart is all I own.** _

_**And in your eyes you’re holding mine.”** _

She walks down the stage then and makes her way over towards Chloe until she’s standing right in front of her. She holds out her hand and Chloe takes it instantly. She pulls her up and against her, dancing together slowly while the gentlemen continue singing in the background.

“Beca. I-“

“You don’t have to say anything. It’s just- I know I waited for a long time. Maybe too long. But I just- I had to try. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t. It’s true, the song, you know. We were just kids while we fell in love, and I didn’t know what it was. But I do now. I was just afraid.”

She continues singing then, softly this time, leaning forward to sing in Chloe’s ear while they continue dancing.

_**“Well, I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know.** _

_**She shares my dreams; I hope that someday I’ll share her home.** _

_**I found a love to carry more than just my secrets.** _

_**To carry love, to carry children of our own.”** _

She smiles at Chloe as she takes a break again, opting to press a kiss to her cheek instead. “Don’t cry, please.”

“I’m not crying because I’m sad, Becs.”

Beca just smiles in response, happy to see that at least Chloe isn’t mad at her, or actually upset.

_**“Baby, I’m dancing in the dark,** _

_**with you between my arms.** _

_**Barefoot on the grass.** _

_**Listening to our favorite song.** _

_**When I saw you in that dress,** _

_**Looking so beautiful** _

_**I don’t deserve this.** _

_**Darling, you look perfect tonight.”** _

“You do, you know.” Chloe says breathlessly.

“Do what?”

“Deserve this.”

Beca finishes the song about a minute later, still holding Chloe in her arms. She can’t see her face, because she is currently resting her head on the redhead’s shoulder, but she can tell that Chloe is crying.

“Chloe?” She asks when the song ends and the band starts playing something new. 

“Yes.”

“Did I wait too long?”

“No. I think I would have waited for you for forever.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“No, I really am.” Beca says as she pulls back, making eye contact with Chloe. “I made way too many mistakes, and I honestly don’t deserve you.”

“It’s okay. We’re here. We made it.”

Beca smiles at her. “Can I kiss you?”

“I’ll get angry if you don’t.”

The brunette smiles brightly at her best friend before leaning in and connecting their lips together. They’re still dancing softly, with the music playing in the background. Kissing Chloe makes her regret not doing this sooner even more. Her lips are soft, and taste amazing. Beca deepens the kiss for a quick second, just a small tease of what’s to come, before she pulls back and leans her forehead against Chloe’s.

“You really are perfect, you know.”

“ _This_ is perfect, Beca. I love you.”

“I love you too, Chlo.”


	5. The Vet - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on a story Tumblr user 'Pocketsquirrel' sent me. 
> 
> _Hm, a story. Few days ago I took my zoo pack(2 dogs/2 turtles) for an annual check up. On my way in I kinda lost my grip on one of the turtle tanks which resulted in me noisily busting trough doors and some lady asking if I was by any chance single.(I don’t think it was a complimentary question) there ya go._
> 
> Not sure if this will remain a one-shot, there might be a part 2 if people want there to be.
> 
> Rating: T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

She should have never gotten a dog. That’s Beca’s only thought as she awkwardly tries to make her way through the door. She didn’t even want one in the first place. However, Jesse - her best friend - thought it would be a good idea to get one for her. She was always so lonely anyways. At least, that’s what he thought.

But Beca didn’t need company. She was a famous music producer and her mixes were enough for her. So when Jesse had stopped by her house one day with a puppy, she wanted to turn him away, wanted to tell him to bring it back to wherever it came from.

But then she had made the mistake of looking at the dog.

Six months later, Beca was happy to have her dog, Bella, around. Sure, it was kind of a pain in the ass from time to time (No Bella, you cannot sleep in my bed.. okay… well, just for tonight, alright?) but Beca loved the puppy dearly.

Which is exactly why she freaked out when Bella managed to eat a button that had come loose from her shirt.

She’d found a girl in a bar. Beca didn’t even know her name, but it didn’t matter because she wasn’t looking for something like that anyways. Her life was way too busy and she didn’t have time for that kind of stuff.

They had been having fun, until the girl got a little too enthusiastic and roughly pulled her shirt off. Which would have been fine, normally, but Bella had this weird obsession with buttons and before Beca could stop it, she’d swallowed one.

After kicking the girl out of her house (who didn’t seem to understand what the big deal was) she quickly put Bella in the car with her and made her way over towards the vet as quickly as she could. She knew it was around 5am, but she didn’t care. She’d pay whatever amount extra right now, her girl needed to be okay.

So here she was, trying to make her way through the doors of the vet clinic while holding Bella under her arm. Her other hand was trying to push the door open, while also trying not to fall over the dog’s collar. She was a mess. Her shirt was only half on (of course, it had been the top button that fell off, making her now show a little _too_  much cleavage, and she hadn’t thought about getting literally any other shirt in her haste) and she was also carrying her purse which held all of Bella’s paperwork and documents.

“Jesus  _fucking_  Christ.” She curses as she stumbles through the door, falling forward when she accidentally gets her ankle wrapped around Bella’s collar. She manages to catch herself just in time, standing up straight and looking around the empty clinic.

“Are you by any chance single?” An unfamiliar voice asks her, and she looks up to find where the voice is coming from.

“Dude what?” She asks, confused. “I uh- this is the vet, right? I’m pretty sure I didn’t just stumble into some kind of weird bar.”  

The other woman makes her way over towards Beca now, and as she gets closer Beca can see just how beautiful she is. Great. Awesome. Just what she wants, a crush on the vet.

“I’m Doctor Beale, you must be Ms. Mitchell. I was just wondering because you’re all by yourself, and struggling.”

“Uh yeah.” She responds, still confused. She doesn’t really address the ‘single’ question, unsure whether the other woman really wanted an answer to that.

“My assistant who called me in informed me about the situation. Follow me.”

Beca follows her into an exam room, quickly lifting Bella up onto the table.

“Has she thrown up yet?” Chloe asks as she starts her exam, checking Bella’s mouth and feeling her stomach.

“No.”

“Okay, and how long ago was this exactly?”

“I’d say about two hours.” Beca responds, some of her anxiety fading now that she can see how calm the doctor is.

“Alright. How exactly did she manage to swallow a button, if I may ask?”

The brunette blushes then. “Uh just, you know. My shirt ripped because uh.. I uh- someone was- She did- I had this..-“

“So you aren’t single, huh?” Chloe says with a wink and a teasing smirk.

“No! I am! She was just- I met her at a bar.”

Now it’s the redhead’s time to blush, although she still has that same teasing smile on her face. “I was kidding.”

“Yeah uh- of course. I know. You don’t care. Oh my god, why would you care, right? I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’re just worried about your dog.” Chloe reassures her while she continues her exam.

“Yep. That’s definitely it. Because normally I’m like a super chill person. Not weird at all.”

“Well,” Chloe starts, ignoring Beca’s rambling, “It seems like Bella is perfectly fine. It’s probably going to pass through her digestive system just fine, if the button is as small as the others are.” Chloe says, gesturing down towards Beca’s shirt.

Suddenly, the brunette is extremely aware of her blouse situation. She didn’t care much before, because it was 5am after all, and she had better things to worry about than her cleavage showing, but now she suddenly felt embarrassed.

“Uh yeah. Same size.”

What made it even weirder was that Chloe was still staring at her. “Good. That’s uh- that’s good.”

Wait, was she flustered?

“So anyway,” Chloe says then, “Make sure to check her stool the next couple of days. If you don’t find the button within the next three days, please come back to my office immediately, okay?”

“Wait,” Beca answers, “You want me to check my dog’s shit.”

“Uh, to put it that way, yes.”

“Dude, no.”

Chloe chuckles. “It’s really no big deal, just use a small stick or something to chop it up and search through it. It should be no problem.”

The brunette groans then, letting her head fall down on the table. “I swear, I’m never going to a bar again.”

“Or maybe don’t bring random girls home that rip your shirt off?”

Beca chuckles. “Yeah, I mean.. maybe. I don’t do that stuff often anyways.”

“I’m not judging you.” Chloe says, laughing at Beca’s awkwardness.

“God, sorry. I know. I feel weird.”

This only makes Chloe laugh even harder. “Alright. Well, Bella here is good to go home, just remember to keep an eye on it, and call me if you have any further questions.”

Beca nods, thankful that the tension between them is broken for the moment. Not that she’s not enjoying this banter with Chloe, quite the contrary, in fact, she’s just not very good at this. The social stuff, that is. It’s easier in a bar, or a club. She’s DJ Beca Mitchell. She only has to look at a girl to get her to go home with her. People know her, like her, are obsessed with her music.

This is different.

“Okay, awesome. Thank you so much. I’m sorry for making you come to the office in the middle of the night, I just didn’t know what to do.”

Chloe smiles, “It’s totally okay, Ms. Mitchell. That’s what I’m here for.”

They walk towards the front desk, where Beca pays for Bella’s exam plus some food that Chloe recommends and tells her will help with the button situation. “Well,” Beca says, reaching out to shake Chloe’s hand, “this has been surprisingly not horrible. I hope that I’ll see you again.” She manages to say it without appearing too awkward.

Chloe chuckles at that. “Uh. I hope not.”

Beca frowns. “Oh uh. Sorry, I just thought- never mind. I’m an idiot. I’m gonna go now. Let’s go, Bella.”

“No, no, no.” Chloe says, realizing exactly how bad Beca is at this, “What I mean is, I hope I don’t see you here, because that would mean that something is wrong with Bella.”

“Oh right. Totally. Yeah.”

“Well, you have my number. Call me if you have  _any_  questions, okay?”

“I will, thank you.”

* * *

Beca finally understands what Chloe meant a couple of days later, with no thanks to herself, of course. Jesse had to inform her that when Chloe said ‘ _Any_ questions’ she had meant ‘Please call me and ask me out’.

So Beca calls, after much convincing from Jesse. “Hey uh. Heyyy.” She says awkwardly into the phone when Chloe’s assistant transfers her.

“Uh. Hello.”

“Oh shit.. uh sorry. This is Mitchell. I mean, Beca. DJ Becs in the house! Woo!” Next to her, Jesse slaps her arm. “Please ignore that. I don’t do that. It’s Beca Mitchell, uh.. Bella’s owner.”

Chloe’s laughing loudly on the other end of the line. “I remember, Beca. Everything okay with Bella?”

“Uh yeah. Why wouldn’t she be?”

“Because you called me, your vet, in case you don’t remember.”

Beca groans, causing Chloe to laugh even harder. “I’m not doing too great, am I?”

“Uh, not really. But it’s okay. I can forgive you, DJ Becs.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“Wait, wait!” Chloe says, speaking louder to make sure Beca doesn’t actually hang up, “Why are you calling, in all seriousness?”

Beca can tell she’s smirking from the way she’s talking, and she hates herself for being so obvious.

“I uh… I just wanted to ask if you maybe wanted to do something next week. Like, dinner or whatever.” She says, sounding disinterested. It’s a mask, and she knows it. Like she mentioned, she hates doing this. Plus, the fact that Jesse is sitting right next to her really doesn’t make it easier.

“That doesn’t sound like you really want to.”  

Beca takes a deep breath and then tries again. “Chloe Beale, do you want to go out with me sometime this week, preferably dinner?”

Chloe smiles. “I’d love to.”

“Great.” Beca says, smiling too now. “It’s a date. I’ll uh- I’ll text you the details later. Would Friday be okay?”

“Perfect. Let me give you my personal number, that might be easier.”

Chloe does, and Beca quickly writes it down on a piece of paper that she had previously used to write down stuff about a new mix she’d been working on. Normally, those papers were holy and she protected them with her life. No spills or doodles allowed, that was her rule. Still though, in this moment, Chloe’s number was more important.

“Awesome. Thanks. I guess I’ll see you Friday then.”

“I guess you will.” Chloe answers. “And Beca?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t wear something with buttons this time.”


	6. Just The Way You Are - G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An anon on Tumblr sent me this: _do your remember the scene in pitch perfect where chloe sings just the way you are by bruno mars ? I just listened to it again for feels and realised they didn’t change the pronouns! chloe sang “cause girl you’re amazing just the way you are “ my heart likes to think that she thought of beca while singing it_
> 
> And then I thought, why not write a short story exactly about that moment.. 
> 
> So, here it is!
> 
> Rating: G

They just finished singing ‘ _Just the way you are_ ’ and they’re all hyper and enthusiastic and yes, they can definitely do this. Beca’s back in and they’ve found their harmony and surprisingly, Aubrey is okay with it all.

Chloe’s a little too happy herself. She seriously can’t stop smiling. Singing that song with Beca ( _to_ Beca) had made her feel all warm and tingly inside and she isn’t sure what to do about it. She is pretty sure Beca’s interested in Jesse, and she really doesn’t want to stand in the way of anything. Even if what she is feeling for Beca is nothing more than a small crush (although she is pretty sure it isn’t).

Still though, singing with Beca is the best. She could hide all her feelings in the song and pretend like she just felt  _that_ much passion for it, and not for the person she was singing it to.

They’re just getting back to the dorm building when Beca places a hand on her arm, slowing her down to a stop.

“So, that was pretty awesome, right?”

Chloe nods and beams at her friend. “Yeah, we’re happy to have you back, Bec.”

The brunette allows herself a soft smile. “Me too. Honestly, the Beca from a couple of months of ago would never have thought I’d say this, but I’m really happy to be a part of this. So thanks.”

“Why thank me?”

“Because without you I wouldn’t have done this.”

Chloe chuckles. “You’re thanking me for walking in while you were showering,  _nude._ ” She mimics Beca from earlier, sending a wink to the other girl as well to let her know she’s joking.

“Well, maybe not specifically that part.”

They both laugh then.

“Anyways, I just thought that was really, really awesome and I wanted to say thanks.” She says, sounding like she doesn’t actually care, although Chloe knows the opposite is true.

“You’re welcome, and that was mostly you, honestly. You’ll make a great captain when Aubrey and I are gone next year.”

“ _If_ you pass Russian lit, of course.”

“Right.” She hasn’t even thought about that course. She’s been looking for ways to stay, because she  _really_ doesn’t want to leave. But she is pretty good at Russian lit, so she had never even considered failing it on purpose to stay in college. Maybe she should look into that?

Beca turns around, about to walk away, when she suddenly speaks up again. “Oh and one last thing, I wanted to thank you for not doing  _that,_ ” she says it with an eye roll, “while we were singing that song.”

“I’m sorry, doing what?”

She ducks her head, feeling slightly embarrassed now. Why did she even have to bring it up in the first place? “You know, change the pronouns. A lot of girls do that when they sing that song. I think it’s kinda annoying, to be honest.”

“Why would I do that?” Chloe asks, confused.

“Because, you  _know.”_

“I don’t know, Beca, that’s why I’m asking.”

The brunette shrugs and Chloe can tell she’s regretting even talking about this in the first place. She reaches out to squeeze Beca’s arm for a quick second, hoping it will give her friend the courage to say what she wants to say.

“Because, you know, people always sing it for someone they like or whatever, and you could said ‘him’ and pretended you were singing it to Tom or whatever.”

She smiles at first. But wait, was Beca trying to say something here? Or was she just grasping at straws?

She goes for it anyway. “What  _if_  Iwas singing it to someone because I like them, but not to Tom, and I meant it when I said ‘her’”.

Beca feels her mouth become dry. What was happening right now? “Uh yeah, that uh- that’s fine..”

Chloe smiles, feeling pretty confident now that she’s seen Beca’s reaction to her confession. “What about you, Becs, were you thinking about Jesse when you sang your part?”

She shakes her head quickly. “Uh nope. Definitely not. I know everyone thinks I’m into him, but he really is just a friend. We talked about it.”

“Oh, okay.” Chloe responds. “So, when you were singing ‘her’ was that intentionally, or were you just singing the song?”

Beca smiles softly at her, and although Chloe can already see the answer in her eyes, she can also tell that Beca is unsure, probably fighting a battle within herself.

“Honestly,” Beca says, “I haven’t quite figured it out yet.”

And that’s okay. They’ll get there. They have time. Especially now that she knows she can still fail Russian literature.


	7. Laundry day - M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Can you do one with Beca naked on her room. Nothing sexual, she's just too lazy to put on clothes, maybe because it's too hot and maybe Chloe went home early and saw Beca asleep naked. I dunno, up to you :) love your fics btw!_
> 
> Rating: M (to be safe)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, you can send me more prompts on Tumblr: dr-jillianholtzmann

Shit. That’s Beca’s only thought when she realizes that she once again was too lazy this morning to do something about her laundry. She really,  _really_ should have done that, because she didn’t even have clean clothes in the first place. Great. She really annoys herself sometimes. She just got out of the shower and there’s seriously nothing she can wear. Plus, now she has a wet towel too.

She stares at the clock and realizes that it’s only 6pm. Chloe won’t be home until at least another two hours (she has an evening shift today), and god knows where Amy is, but she most likely won’t show up at all today, so she might as well wear nothing for now.  

It’s surprisingly comfortable actually, the not wearing any clothes thing. She’d do this more often if she didn’t have two roommates that were around a lot. Because she’s pretty sure she’d scar them for life. However, for some reason, it feels really awkward to sit on the couch like this, and their dinner table is even worse, so her only option is to sit on the bed. She doesn’t get under the covers, because it feels weird, plus it’s pretty hot in their apartment. It’s a little strange still, and she’s suddenly even more aware that she shares this bed with her best friend, who she’s had a crush on for years.

Still, she tries to forget about it as she gets herself a beer from the fridge (hoping it will help her feel a little more at ease), then moves back to the bed and reaches for her laptop, ready to do some work. She puts the headphones on her ears and just like that, she has forgotten about her lack of clothes.

Chloe is pleasantly surprised when her boss tells her she can go home earlier today. Apparently, they scheduled in too many people and he’s told her to go home. She works too much anyways. She doesn’t mind it, the long hours. It’s better than sitting at home and having to watch Beca work on her music or do.. well, basically anything. Because she’ll want to kiss her, and she can’t.

Still, she’s relieved today, because she’s exhausted and really all she wants to do is go home and sleep. She sends her best friend a text, saying that she’ll be home around 6:45, but she doesn’t get a response. Beca must be working on her music already.

Out of all the things she expected to see when she walked into the apartment, Beca sitting on their bed  _naked_ is the least of them. Still, that’s what she finds. She stands there for a second, just staring, because Beca hasn’t seen or heard her yet, until she makes a sudden move that Beca can apparently see from the corner of her eye, and then suddenly she’s pushing her laptop off her of her – which  _really_ doesn’t make it any better because she can now see  _everything_ – and then dives under the covers.

“Dude! What the hell are you doing?” Beca yelps once she’s fully covered.

“Uh. I could ask you the same thing.”

“I didn’t know you were going to be home so soon.” The brunette answers, realizing her face is probably as red as a tomato by now.

“Yeah, I uh- I got off work earlier. I sent you a text.”

Beca dares to reach for her phone, giving Chloe another quick glance at her chest (she’s a creep and she should really stop staring but then again, can you really blame her?!) before she disappears again. “Oh shit.” Beca then says, having clearly seen the text by now.

“Yeah. So uh- you wanna explain this situation?” Chloe asks as she starts taking off her own coat and putting it on the floor next to the bed, figuring it’s probably best if she keeps herself busy so that she’s not staring at Beca too much.

“It’s not what you think.” Her friend answers, clearly still super embarrassed.

“Really? Because I think that you were too lazy to do laundry, _again_ , so decided that your only other option was to walk around naked.” Chloe says with a teasing smirk.

“Okay, it’s exactly what you think.”

She bursts out into laughter then, because it’s such a Beca thing to do, yet so extremely out of character at the same time. Sure, Beca is lazy sometimes when it comes to washing her clothes, or making sure she eats during the day, but this is also the girl that will blush every single time your shirt lifts even the slightest bit. Beca’s awkward, and if they’d swapped places, she’s sure the brunette would have stormed off. But not without muttering something along the lines of “shit” and “dude why?” and probably “sorry” and then she would have knocked over a bunch of their stuff before leaving.

But their roles aren’t swapped, and Chloe’s not running.    

“You could have just borrowed something from my closet, you know.” She says then, honestly wondering why Beca didn’t do that. “I mean,” she then adds bravely, because really.. they don’t have that many lines to cross anymore, “Not that I’m complaining.”

“You’re not? Because it seems like you are.” Beca fires back, her voice surprisingly steady.  
  
Chloe laughs, and while she does so she accidentally falls over her coat – the stupid goddamn coat that she just dumped on the floor moments before – and goes diving forward. Of course, of  _fucking_ course, she lands right on top of Beca, who lets out a shriek when she suddenly feels all of Chloe pressed against her. The redhead, looking for anything to break her fall, ends up groping Beca’s boob over the blanket.

“Dude.” Beca says, once she realizes that Chloe’s hand is still  _there_ even after she has regained her balance. “What is this about?” She asks, gesturing down towards her chest.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to- I just.. I fell.”

“Yeah. I got that.”

There’s an awkward silence between them, and Chloe is not sure what to do.

“So, this got even weirder really fast.” Beca says, just trying to break the sexual tension in the air.

“I mean, I don’t think it’s too weird. The ‘accidentally grabbing your boob thing’ probably wasn’t my best move, but uh- nope. Not complaining. You know that I’m very confident about my own body, I’m just happy to see you feel the same about yours.”

“Oh, I don’t.”

“You don’t?”

“Nah, I’m just really, really tired right now, plus a little tipsy, and I’m kinda praying that this is just a bad dream.”

“It’s not.” Chloe says, to which Beca rolls her eyes.

“I’ve realized. Are you going to stop staring at me?”

“Are you going to put on clothes?”

“Probably not.” She says with a shrug, because honestly, why bother at this point.

“Then I guess I won’t.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Quite the contrary in fact.” Chloe says, winking at Beca before moving to sit next to her on the bed, choosing to stay on top of the covers though.

“Oh.” Beca responds, clearly taken aback a little by Chloe’s forwardness. She knew she was flirting too though, and Chloe was.. well Chloe was Chloe and  _of course,_ she’d be flirting with her in this moment. However, it seemed more serious this time. She still had that same teasing smirk on her face, but something in her eyes gave her away. Like she  _really_ wasn’t actually joking around when she said that she didn’t mind. And Beca didn’t know what to do with that information.

“You know, maybe I should just put on one of your shirts..” She finally says, after they’ve both been staring at her laptop in silence for a few minutes.

“Whatever you want. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before anyways.”

Beca frowns, suddenly having forgotten what Chloe is talking about. “The shower, Becs, your freshman year.”

“Oh, right.”

“I’ll go get you something.” Chloe says with a soft smile, noticing how uncomfortable Beca suddenly is. The alcohol and tiredness must be wearing off. She walks over towards her closet and pulls out one of her old shirts. She knows Beca likes this one on her, because Amy once sent her a picture of Beca wearing it when she was visiting family for a couple of days. Back then, she hadn’t said anything of course, but it had made her heart beat faster in her chest. Beca wearing her clothes was such a turn on for her, and she couldn’t help but admit that the brunette looked absolutely adorable in them.

She hands Beca the shirt, who stares at it questionably for a little (probably wondering if Chloe knows about the shirt stealing) before she takes it with a muttered ‘thanks’. She sits up in the bed, letting the covers fall down – allowing Chloe one final glance at her body – before quickly slipping on the shirt. It’s already quite long on Chloe, so on her it’s definitely long enough to cover everything that she wants to be covered.

“So, are you happy now?” Beca asks once everything is in place and she dares to look at her friend again.

“I wasn’t the one who was complaining, Becs, in case you forgot.”

The brunette rolls her eyes. “Yeah, but dude, you’re like.. super confident and whatever. Of course you don’t care about that stuff.”

Chloe chuckles. “You honestly think that I would have done the same thing if I had been Aubrey or whatever?”

Beca shrugs in response. “Uh, yeah?”

“You’re an idiot Becs. I mean, you’re a cute idiot, but you’re an idiot. You think that if I walked in on Aubrey like that I would have been as flustered as I was? You think I would not have been able to drag my eyes away from her because she’s just  _so_ beautiful. You think I would have encouraged her  _not_ to put on a shirt?”

“I’m guessing from the way you’re saying this the answer is no.”

“At least you got that right,” She says with a smile. “Bec, listen, I’m not trying to make you even more uncomfortable, but I like you. Like, I  _really_ like you. I just want you to know that it’s okay if you don’t like me back. I can live with that, I mean, I have been living with that. Your friendship just means so much to me and I could never lose that. I just.. I  _had_ to tell you. So if you just want me to go right now I can probably find another place to-“

“Chloe.”

“Yeah?”

“Stop talking right now.”

Beca pushed forward and pressed her lips against Chloe’s. The redhead was clearly surprised for a second or two, but then started kissing her back passionately. Beca immediately realized that they really should have done this sooner. Hell, she’s honestly considering never washing her clothes every again anymore. Turns out that sometimes being lazy will have its benefits. She deepens the kiss, letting her tongue trace Chloe’s bottom lip before entering her mouth. It’s amazing.. for three seconds. Chloe pulls back instantly and all too soon for Beca’s liking. Suddenly she feels like she just messed up. Did she go too far by deepening the kiss?

“I’m sorry,” she says, trying to catch her breath, “was that not good?”

Chloe smiles, a little breathless herself. “No.. it uh- it was.. trust me, it  _so_ was. It’s just- I’m suddenly a little too aware of how you’re naked underneath that shirt. My shirt, to be specific, which doesn’t help. Also,  _that_ doesn’t help either.”

Beca smiles broadly in response, then looks down at her own body. She suddenly understands why the redhead had pulled back. Chloe’s shirt is thin, and it’s pretty easy to tell that the kiss got her a little.. excited.

“Sorry.”

“Once again, not complaining. I just want to do this right, which means that I’d really love to take you out tomorrow, if that’s okay.”

Beca smiles again. “I’d love that.”

The redhead returns her soft smile, leaning in to give Beca a quick peck on her lips.

“Oh and Bec?”

“Yeah?”

“Please forget to do your laundry more often.”

They both laugh, and Beca surprises even herself by rolling over and into Chloe’s arms. She nuzzles her face into her best friend’s neck and exhales contently.

“Is this okay?”

“Perfect.”


	8. It really does build - E

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _During the USO tour (after all the events in the film) Chloe is getting ready for her date with Chicago… as she walks past Beca’s room, the door is slightly ajar, she overhears the brunette singing in the shower. *insert song- titanium maybe?_
> 
> _She remembers the first time they sang it together and realises she can’t go through with the date because she doesn’t feel for Chicago even a fraction of what she feels for Beca… and she joins Beca in the shower instead. Fluff or smut. Or BOTH. Your choice ;)_
> 
> Rating: E

Chloe didn’t actually think that he was going to ask her out. She thought she’d kiss him, and it would be nice(ish). She’d feel happy enough, and they would move on. A nice distraction, is what she would call it. She liked him, in a way, and she was sure he was interested in her. However, she didn’t think he actually  _liked_ her.

Sure, she had been flirting with him and stuff, but it had mostly been all fun and games. Because honestly, she knew she’d have to be around Beca all the time and that was just too much to handle. At home it was fine, because they had their separate lives and it was easier to just ignore her feelings and just continue living on like the best friends they were.

But around the Bellas? Around the Bellas everything was different. Beca was a different person when they were surrounded by friends. She loved them, Chloe could tell, but it also caused Beca to be a little more forward towards her. For some reason, Beca seemed to forget how she hated physical contact, or smiling, or being sarcastic all the time. She was open, and she leaned into Chloe when she put an arm around her and it made her stomach do backflips.

It was why she fell for her in the first place. Beca always treated her differently when they others were there, like she was special.

Anyway, she knew it would never actually happen. There had been moments when she was pretty sure Beca felt the same, and honestly, maybe she did, but she couldn’t wait for her for forever. She had tried to tell Beca, about a million times, in a million different ways, over the years she’d known her. In the beginning, it had just been subtle things, not wanting to freak her out too much, or be too obvious, because she had no idea how Beca was feeling. However, once she started to feel that maybe Beca was interested in her as well, she figured she could start being a little more obvious, to the point of her actually asking the other woman out. She probably shouldn’t have done it in front of Amy though, but it was just such an ‘oh my god you are so beautiful and amazing right now’ moment and she wasn’t able to stop herself. So she had asked her, and for a few seconds Beca just stared at her, her mouth slightly open. She could practically see the gears turning in the head. Then her eyes had shifted over towards where Amy was standing behind her, and suddenly she was laughing. “Very funny, Chlo.” The brunette had said, before walking off. She should have known not to do it like that.

Beca kind off started to push her away after that. She wasn’t sure why, maybe Beca really wasn’t interested, or maybe she actually was, but now that she thought that her friend was only joking, she knew there was no chance in hell it was actually ever going to happen.

Whatever it was, it was complicated, and she had lost almost all hope.

So she said yes when Chicago asked her out. Because she liked him enough, and apparently he  _liked_ her, and it would get her mind off Beca.

She was walking down the hallway of the hotel, her palms a little sweaty. She was nervous. Not that typical ‘first date’ nervous feeling you get, but a different kind. Because this wasn’t just a typical ‘first date’, this was her deciding to give up a big part of her life, to give up Beca.

Her head knew that this was the right decision. Rationally, it was smart to move on. It made sense. There was really no reason anymore to stay in her apartment with Beca and Amy, to stay in Brooklyn, to be around them. She could have a new life, right here, right now. However, emotionally, it was… it was almost too much to-

Wait.

Was that?

Shit.

How did she end up in front of Beca’s hotel room door? It’s not even on the way to the lobby where she’s supposed to meet Chicago.

She stops then, wiping her palms on the front of her dress. Resting for a second won’t hurt anyone, right? She’ll only be a minute or two late. She leans against the wall, letting her head rest against it while she closes her eyes _._

She should really go.

“Hey!” Someone says loudly, and for a second she’s afraid that Beca caught her. But then she turns around and it’s Amy, having just come out of the hotel room she shares with the brunette.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be climbing that hot man piece?”

“Chicago?” She asks, as if she didn’t already know, “Uh yeah, in a minute. I was just nervous, you know, that uh, first date typical nervous feeling and everything.”

“Not really.”

“Right.”

“Anyway, I’m gonna go and be somewhere else. I can’t handle Beca’s… whatever this is” Amy gestures vaguely behind her to something in the room, “anymore.”

“Handle what? Beca’s music? Her mood? Her weird pacing thing?”  

Amy shakes her head. “Well, I got used to all that. Just not a big fan of all the crying.”

Chloe frowns, and she can practically feel her heart clenching in her chest. “Beca is crying? Why?”

“Don’t know.”

“You didn’t ask?”

“Well, that was usually your job. I just come in later and rub some of my confidence on her.”

Chloe looks around Amy into the hotel room “Do you think I should check?”

The blonde shrugs. “Your call, ginger. I’ll be back later, I met some guys earlier who want to hang out by the pool.”

Chloe’s barely listening to her anymore, already having made up her mind. “Okay. I’ll uh- have fun.”

She’s just checking in, right? She’s just being a friend. It’s just for a few minutes. She’ll knock on the bathroom door and ask if Beca is okay and then she’ll leave. Chicago won’t mind waiting for a few minutes. She sends him a text anyway, explaining she has an emergency she has to deal with but she’ll let him know when she’s on her way. It’s only fair.

She makes her way over towards the bathroom, and that’s when she hears it.

_“I’m bulletproof, nothing to lose._

_Fire away, fire away-“_

It’s been a long time since she’s heard this song. She doesn’t like to listen to it too much, not anymore. It’s gotten to be painful. It’s even worse now that it’s Beca who’s singing it. Especially since she can hear her friend’s soft sobbing in between sentences.

_“Ricochet, you take your aim._

_Fire away, fire away.”_

She lifts her hand to knock on the door, but somehow she can’t get herself to actually do it. She knows how the conversation will go. Beca will convince her that she’s fine, she wasn’t even crying in the first place, and there will be an awkward silence. Beca will then ask her if she needs anything else and Chloe will push for an honest answer one more time before Beca makes some kind of sarcastic mean-ish comment that she doesn’t actually mean and then Chloe will leave. She’ll leave and meet Chicago and then that will be it. She won’t come back.

She makes up her mind then. Chloe wouldn’t be Chloe if she didn’t try at least one more time. Just one more time and she’ll let it go for forever. She just has to follow her heart. Because yes, she likes Chicago, and Chicago  _likes_ her. 

But Chloe  _loves_ Beca.

She turns the knob around and enters the bathroom as quietly as she can. Luckily, the shower curtain plus Beca’s own singing prevents the brunette from noticing she has company. Chloe quickly strips down until she’s naked. Right as Beca is about to start the second verse, she joins in.

_“Cut me down,_

_But it’s you who has further to fall.”_

“Chloe!” Beca yelps, turning around quickly and pushing herself into a corner of a shower. Chloe notices how the brunette’s eyes drop down, lingering longer than they’d done all those years ago. “What the fuck are you doing here? Again?”

“Sing with me.”

Beca shakes her head. “Dude no, I’m not going to sing with you.”

“Please, just one last time.”

“You’re making it sound like we do this daily.” It sounds almost like she wishes they did.

“Beca-“

“Don’t you have a date right about now?”

She wants to say he’s waiting for her, because that’s the truth, but she knows that Beca will probably push her even more away if she does. Still though, it’s about time they start being honest with each other. She sticks to what she feels is true. “That depends.”

“On what?”

The redhead shrugs, not really wanting to answer such a heavy question. “Just sing with me, please.”

_“Ghost town, haunted love,”_  She starts, nodding at Beca to signal she should join her. The brunette just stares at her for a second, clearly pondering what to do. Just as Chloe thinks she’s going to push her away, she joins in, but not without a small eye roll.

_“Raise your voice, sticks and stones may break my bones._

_I’m talking loud, not saying much.”_

Their voices blend together perfectly. They always have, and she’s amazed by it daily, but it’s different like this. It’s different when it’s just them without anyone else. And it’s  _definitely_ different in the shower, where everything sounds better and Beca is there and she’s  _naked._ Yeah, definitely better.

_“Ricochet, you take your aim._

_Fire away, fire away.”_

Beca’s looking at her, but she’s having a hard time maintaining eye contact herself. The brunette’s arms have dropped down to hang loosely by her side, giving Chloe a chance to see her, really see her. The last time this happened, she didn’t really see much. First of all, even for her, it was a little weird to just stare at someone like that after just meeting them the other day, but also, it was almost impossible with Beca covering herself like she’d done.

But she wasn’t doing that now, and they hadn’t just met the other day. Chloe knew her, loved her,  _wanted_ her. Still, though, she forced herself to look away, not wanting to make Beca (even more) uncomfortable or be disrespectful in any way.

_“You shoot me down, but I won’t fall._

_I am titanium.. I am titanium.”_

Silence returned between them, the only sound they could hear was the water falling down on the tiles beneath their feet, as well as their own hearts beating in their chests.

“Chloe,” Beca finally said after a few minutes of staring into each other’s eyes, small smiles on their faces, “what exactly are you doing here?”

She could see something in Beca’s eyes, something that looked similar to what she was sure was in her eyes.  _Lust_ , mostly. Maybe love.

“I wanted to sing with you,” Chloe answers, because it’s part of the truth.

“Yeah, you said that. Although, we have just finished a tour around the world with the Bellas. If I remember correctly,  _all_ we were doing was singing together.” She says it with a teasing smirk, but Chloe’s not really in the mood to joke around.

Beca’s arms are crossed in front of her chest, and she’s  _almost_ ashamed to admit she’s disappointed.

“Why were you crying?”

She can see that it surprises her; Beca opens her mouth and closes it again quickly. Then, she stays silent for a few seconds, avoiding eye contact with Chloe when she finally does answer.

“I wasn’t. Why uh- why would you think that?”

“Amy told me.”

“I’m gonna kill her.”

“Pretty sure she’d beat your ass, we all know what happened on that boat.”

“Do we though? I don’t know how much to believe.”

“Becs.”

Beca takes a deep breath, then shivers. Chloe finally realizes she’s been hogging the warm water for a good few minutes now. Beca must be freezing. She reaches out to grab Beca’s arm, and she can see the panic in her eyes.

“Dude, what are you doing?”

“Just- come here, okay? You’re cold.”

Beca stares down at her chest, blushing, and Chloe then realizes that she must have thought she could tell from  _that._

“No uh- not uh- I wasn’t- you were shivering, Bec.”

“Oh, right.” Beca then lets herself be pulled forward and under the water. She figured that they’d switch places, but to her surprises Chloe stays where she is, the both of them now standing  _really_ close under the stream.

“Why were you crying?” She tries again, hoping that Beca will tell her now.

The brunette takes a deep breath, and Chloe knows she’s going to tell her. She must realize by now Chloe’s not going to give up anyway.

“I was just mad, at myself.”

“Why?”

She shrugs. “Just, you know, being an idiot. Not doing what I wanted to do. Saying what I wanted to say. It’s not surprising, you know who I am.”

Chloe does know. “Well, why don’t you do that now?”

Beca smiles sadly. “I think it’s too late.” 

She’s starting to get a feeling what is happening here. It makes her want to push Beca back against the wall and have her way with her, now that she is pretty sure that the brunette wants it too, but she also wants,  _needs,_ Beca to tell her. Beca needs that too, she can tell.

“Are you sure?” She asks, putting her finger under Beca’s chin to lift her head and making her look her in the eye.

“Yeah- yes-.. I don’t know… maybe.” She takes a shuddering breath. “I hope not.”

“Well,” Chloe starts, “If you’re not sure then maybe you should tell them, or ask them.”

Beca slowly shakes her head, and the redhead can see the tears forming in her eyes again. “I don’t think I can.”

“Why?”

She shrugs. “Because I’m scared. I don’t want to ruin something else in the process.”

Chloe steps even closer to Beca, and now that their bodies are almost touching, it’s even harder to control herself. She’s breathing hard, and every time she exhales she can tell that her chest it almost touching Beca’s and it’s just.. too much. Especially when Beca takes a deep breath herself and Chloe can now obviously tell (she’s not doing a great job of covering her chest) that she’s affected by it too. Because Beca’s not cold.

“I think you should just go for it.”

“Even if that means I could ruin something amazing?”

Chloe smiles at her. “I don’t think you will, Bec.”

The younger woman just stares at her for a bit, clearly trying to figure out what Chloe is doing here. Then, she notices Beca’s eyes move down towards her chest and it makes her blush a little. Because Beca’s eyes don’t just skim over them, they linger.

Blushing, the other woman looks up at her again, smiling awkwardly. She knows she’s been caught. “Are you uh- are you cold?” She asks, as if that would be a proper excuse for staring at someone’s chest for that long.

“No.” Chloe just responds, a smile forming on her face. “Not at all.”

Beca’s gaze drops down again, her eyes lingering once more, and then she seems to make up her mind. Within a matter of seconds, she’s looking up, staring into Chloe’s blue eyes for a quick second before grabbing her upper arms and slamming the redhead into the shower wall. All the air escapes her lungs as her back comes into contact with the cold tiles, but right now, she doesn’t care. She doesn’t care because Beca’s leaning in and then their lips meet and really, oxygen is overrated anyways.

Chloe pushes back against her, her arms wrapping around Beca’s waist and pulling her closer. Their bodies are now touching completely, and feeling Beca’s chest against hers is almost too much to handle. Because Beca’s excited, she’s a hundred percent sure about that now.

Just as she’s about to deepen the kiss though, Beca pulls back.

“I uh- I really want this.”

“I can tell. Me too.”

“Are you- are you sure?”

“Bec, yes. Please kiss me.”

Chloe leans in, desperate to continue kissing, but the brunette just pulls away even further. “Is this- is this a spur of the moment thing? Because if you walk out of this shower and into Chicago’s arms to go on your date after this, I don’t think I can do it.”

The redhead can feel her heart aching in her chest. Did Beca really think she was just acting on simple lust right now? “Beca, no. That’s not it at all, I promise. I want you, yes, but I’ve been wanting you for 6 years now.”

“Wha- how?”

Chloe smiles. “Just, can we please talk about this later? I promise I’ll explain. I just really want you right now, Beca.” She makes her voice sound a little hoarse when she says the last few words, and she can practically see how her friend’s eyes turn a couple of shades darker.

“Fuck.” Beca whispers, making Chloe chuckle.

“That’s what I’m trying, yeah.”

The brunette slams into her again then, clearly not able to handle Chloe right now. She presses herself against her completely, her hands now starting to trace patterns on Chloe’s side as she deepens the kiss. Their tongues meet and they both moan into the kiss. Chloe can’t believe how good this feels.

The redhead’s own hands shift from Beca’s waist to her lower back before moving even lower so that she can grab Beca’s ass. She uses her grip to press the brunette up and harder against her, making her moan into the kiss once more. Beca’s own hands move up towards her breasts, cupping them in her hands and making her thumb brush against Chloe’s nipple. She gasps and pulls back from the kiss to lean her head against the tiles.

Beca uses the opportunity to start pressing kisses against her neck. She finds Chloe’s pulse point and starts to suck.

“Can I?” Beca asks as she pulls back briefly, sounding desperate.

She wants to say no, because they’re not teenagers, but the brunette sounds like she needs this, needs to claim Chloe as her own, make sure that she won’t run off and do the same with  _him._ Chloe’s hers.

“Yes. Please, Beca.” She responds, making Beca groan before she starts sucking and biting again and making Chloe’s skin turn purple and blue and red.

She loves it.

The brunette starts moving down then, her mouth pressing kisses on her collarbone and between her breast until they reach one of her nipples. She twirls her tongue around it for a few seconds until she starts biting it softly, making Chloe arch her back and push her chest forward. Her own hands tangle into Beca’s hair, keeping her where she is.

“God. You feel so amazing.” Beca mumbles against her skin, leaving another mark on Chloe’s breast. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Me too. Now, come up and kiss me.” Chloe responds, then pulling lightly on Beca’s hair to get her to stand up again. She does, and as soon as they’re face to face Beca starts kissing her again. She loves it, but she needs more too. She’s been waiting for this moment for 6 years, and she can’t wait a second longer. Chloe reaches out for one of Beca’s hands, giving it a gentle squeeze before starting to guide it down between her legs.

“Are you sure?” Beca asks, pulling away to look into her eyes for a quick second.

“I’ve never been more sure about anything.”

Beca smiles and starts to lean in again. Just as she is about to connect their lips, she pulls back a little to smirk at Chloe. “Want me to sing titanium again? I’ve heard that song really builds.”

Chloe chuckles. “Shut up Beca.”

The brunette just laughs and then finally starts kissing her again. Meanwhile, her hand has found its way between Chloe’s legs and she gasps into the other woman’s mouth when she feels how wet Chloe is.

“Oh my god, Chlo.”

“Please, Bec. I need you.” Chloe says, wanting Beca to do more. The way she’s just stroking her softly like this is not enough.

Beca nods, and starts rubbing Chloe’s clit. She can’t believe that Chloe got this wet because of her. She can feel her own clit throbbing painfully, begging for attention. She rubs her thighs together, hoping it will help ease some of the discomfort.

“Need some help with that?” Chloe asks, having noticed what’s going on.

“No. You first.” Beca says, pushing Chloe’s hand away and giving it a quick kiss before she presses it against the wall above Chloe’s head, holding it there.

She presses a finger against Chloe’s entrance, not quite putting it in yet, just teasing her. Chloe, however, is not having any of it. She pushes down and practically impales herself on Beca’s finger, causing the brunette to moan loudly as she can now feel Chloe clenching around her. She feels amazing.

“Holy shit.” She says, curling her finger inside of her before pulling it out and then slamming it back in again. Still, she needs more. She needs to know what Chloe tastes like.

Beca starts lowering herself onto the floor, pressing kisses down the redhead’s abs and hip while she does so. Once she’s all the way down she looks up at Chloe, stopping the movement of her finger for a second. “Can I?” She asks, knowing the older woman will understand.

“Please.”

Immediately, she leans forward and wraps her lips around her friend’s clit while she continues fucking her. Chloe tastes  _so good._ She can’t get enough. Which is exactly why she pulls back when she can feel Chloe starting to clench around her.

“Beca. Please,” Chloe says when the brunette suddenly stops everything, “Don’t stop. I was  _so_ close.”

“I know, that’s why I stopped.” Beca says with a smile. “I’m having so much fun, I don’t want you to come yet.”

Chloe smiles too. “Babe, please. I promise you, there will be so much more of this tonight. You can have me as many times as you want, all over this hotel room, if that’s what you like. But right now, I just need you to make me come. I love you, Becs. Please make me come.”

Hearing Chloe’s confession is almost too much for her to handle. Immediately, Beca pushes forward again and starts sucking on Chloe’s clit. Within seconds, the redhead starts clenching around her finger again, and this time, she doesn’t stop.  

“Beca. Bec. I’m gonna- I’m gonna come.”

And she does. Chloe clenches hard around Beca’s finger before going completely stiff. She arches her back off the wall and the brunette has to quickly move up her body to steady the other woman to make sure she doesn’t fall forward. Meanwhile, she keeps slowly pumping her finger to let the other woman ride out her orgasm.

“Oh my god.” Chloe says after about a minute and a half. “I’ve never come that hard in my entire life.”

Beca laughs, then slowly removes her finger from Chloe before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Wanna do it again?”

“Yes.” She responds, laughing too. “But you first.”

Chloe quickly turns off the shower and dries off both of their bodies. “I want you on the bed.” She says to Beca as they exit the bedroom, still naked. Chloe, however, starts looking for her shirt and pants, which confuses Beca. “Don’t touch yourself until I come back.” She then says, before walking over towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Beca asks, worried that something is wrong.

“I need to talk to someone, and then I need to tell Amy to share a room with Aubrey tonight.”

“Chicago?” The brunette asks.

Chloe nods. “Yeah. I still owe him an explanation.”

She likes that about Chloe. She is such a genuinely nice person. Beca’s pretty sure that if she had been in that position she wouldn’t have cared, at least not right now.

“What are you going to tell him?”

She blushes a little. “The truth. I’m going to tell him that I can’t go out with him, because my heart already belongs to someone else.”

Now it’s Beca’s time to blush. “I love you, Chlo.”

“I love you too.”

 

 


	9. Wanna Experiment? - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, I had this idea in my head for the whole “One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t do enough experimenting in college” scene. 
> 
> I’ve read a whole bunch of fics about it. I love it when Beca admits she actually did want to, and seeks out Chloe, or when Chloe feels hurt and unsure, or basically any version of this where they end up making out in the end.
> 
> However, I thought of something that I personally hadn’t read before. What if Chloe decided to continue teasing Beca about it? What if she didn’t let it go, or back down, and just had some fun with the other woman. Leading to a very annoyed and very confused Beca. I thought it’d be fun, so I wrote it :) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Rating: T

She thought it would be awkward.

She thought they’d forget about it.

She thought that it was just a spur of the moment thing.

She thought she didn’t actually mean it.

She was wrong.

Beca was  _so_  wrong.

* * *

It was a couple of weeks after they’d come back from the retreat and won the worlds. They were hyper and happy and just relieved that everything had returned to normal.

It was good to be home.

Beca remembers so much from this year. She remembers starting her internship, getting a new Bella, singing with her friends, fighting with her friends, winning worlds and staring too long at German women. She remembers a lot.

There’s just one thing she’d like to forget.

One thing she wishes she’d never heard in the first place.

It wasn’t a bad thing, she just can’t get it out of her head.

“One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t do enough experimenting in college.”

Who even says that?

Chloe says that. Of course.

It’s such a Chloe thing to say, which is why she thought they could move past it. Beca brushed her off, obviously, and that should have been it.

Because Chloe was only kidding, and Beca wasn’t obsessed with her and thinking about doing exactly that every moment of every day, right?

Right.

Except she can’t let it go. She couldn’t even if she wanted to, because Chloe brings it up almost every day.

She thought that maybe it was only a joke, or if it wasn’t, it would have been embarrassing enough for Chloe to never speak of it again, but neither has proven to be true.

She’s currently sitting on one of the stools in their kitchen, working on some music, when the person she’s been thinking about walks into the room. She can tell by the teasing smirk on her face that she’s going to say something again.

“Hey, Bec.”

“Hi.” She responds, smiling softly at her friend.

“So, I have a question.” Chloe says, and Beca wonders what she came up with this time.

“Shoot.” She will admit she’s curious.

“Do you like science? Like, are you good at it?”

Oh. She didn’t expect that. Chloe’s holding her book and everything. Maybe she needs help.

“Uh. I mean, yeah, I do okay.” She responds with a shrug.

“Great!” Chloe says happily, before sitting down next to Beca. “Because I thought that maybe we could experiment together one time?” She winks at her then, causing Beca to groan and drop her head down into her hands.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Yeah, you were really easy this time.”

Beca shakes her head, still not looking up to meet her friend’s eyes.

“So, do you wanna?” Chloe asks, when she doesn’t answer.

“Just leave me alone, Chlo.” Beca answers, but there’s a smile in her voice and the redhead knows she’s only joking along.

“Alright,” Chloe says in response, “just saying that I think it would be pretty explosive.”

“Bye Chloe!” She says as she raises her voice and then groans into her hands once more, causing Chloe to laugh as she walks away. She’s pretty sure she’s as red of a tomato by now.

* * *

It happens again a couple of days later.

They’re at rehearsals, trying to get a new act together for this performance they have to do soon.

It’s been a little difficult so far because they’re trying to do some new stuff that they haven’t done yet, and it requires a lot of complicated choreography that Beca can’t really do.

She’s a good dancer, she knows. But just not when she’s not feeling comfortable, like she is now.

It only makes it worse when Chloe steps in behind her like she’d done in her freshman year and takes her hands into her own. “Need some help, Bec?”

The brunette shakes her head, and as she does so, she can feel Chloe’s red curls against her cheek. It feels good.

“Nope. Totally fine here, I get it.”

“Oh really?” Chloe asks, and Beca can practically hear the teasing smirk in her voice. “Because it doesn’t seem like you do.”

She starts guiding Beca’s hands then, and the younger woman lets herself be guided for the moment. There’s no point in arguing with Chloe anyway.

“So, if I do this,” Beca says, moving with Chloe, “it should look a little like this.”

“Yes! Perfect.” Chloe responds.

Then, just as Beca things she’s going to move away from behind her, Chloe presses herself even closer for a second to whisper something in her ear. She shivers immediately, not having expected it.

“Hey, we could always continue this experiment in a more private setting?”

She whips her head around to glare at Chloe, and for a second she almost gasps when she realizes just how close they are. Still, she keeps her gaze focused and steady as she narrows her eyes. “Seriously, Chlo, aren’t you getting sick of these?”

“Not yet.” She winks at Beca before pulling away and addressing the other Bellas.

Beca finally releases the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.  

* * *

No matter what Beca does, it seems like Chloe isn’t going to stop. Not that she really minds, because she’s sure that if she actually seriously told Chloe to not do it anymore, the redhead would stop in a heartbeat. It’s all fun and games, she can tell.

Except there’s something to it.

Something that makes it seem like it’s not just a game, or a challenge, to Chloe. The first time she said it she’d been serious, at least serious in the way she said it, and maybe – Beca now thinks –  _maybe_ she hadn’t been joking.

The next time it happens is when they’re with other people. It’s a little surprising because she usually teases her in private about it. It’s become their little inside joke, or whatever you want to call it.

Chloe mostly just likes to make her blush, she knows.

Except this time, it’s different.

Beca just got off of work (her internship hours are crazy and she usually works until at least 10 in the evening these days) and she’s tired and a little cranky, and really she just wants to go home. Jesse has been bugging her about hanging out and it’s the least she wants to do.

“But you always hang out with Chloe.” He said yesterday, which annoyed her even more than all the other stuff he’s said.

“Well yeah dude, that kinda happens when you live in the same house as the other person.” She’d answered, accompanied by an eye roll.

“That’s not what I meant, Becs.”

She had just shrugged in response, because dealing with this was just too much for now.

So anyway, she’s supposed to meet her friends for this party, and although she doesn’t want to, she knows Chloe will kill her if she doesn’t show up for at least a few minutes. And it’s true, they  _are_ graduating, and soon she’ll miss these days.  

So she shows up.

She downs two drinks that are  _way_ too strong in the first few minutes and hangs out in the back of the party, talking to Emily for a bit. She keeps going on and on about something and Beca has honestly had enough of this. She likes Emily, she really does, but the girl never really stops talking and now she’s all tipsy and tired and she’s been here for 20 minutes and she still hasn’t seen Chloe, which is why she came here in the first place.

She’s spotted Jesse though, but he didn’t shoot her much more than a small smile. He looked sad.

Finally, after what feels like forever, she frees herself from Emily and makes her way over towards where her other friends are standing.

She finds Chloe talking to a group of guys she doesn’t know. She assumes they’re in a class together or something.

“Hey, Chloe.” She says, putting a hand on her friend’s lower back. She does that when she’s had alcohol, and it makes her annoyed with herself. Why does she always become so touchy-feeling when she’s had some beers?

“Beca!” Chloe squeals, before turning around and throwing her arms around Beca’s neck. The brunette has to steady herself, and she can tell that Chloe has clearly had a couple of drinks herself already.

“Hey. How are you?” She asks, a little awkwardly.

“I’m great! Better now. How was your internship?”

She shrugs. “Long. What are you guys talking about?”

Chloe’s gaze shifts to this one guy, and Beca has to admit he’s handsome. “School.” The redhead answers then, before turning to Beca to face her once again.

“We were just wondering,” She starts, and for once, she doesn’t see it coming, “Do you like group experiments?”

Beca’s eyes widen as they shift between Chloe and the guy she had just been staring at before. What the-

Was Chloe really suggesting they should have a threesome with this random dude? No way in hell that was going to happen.

“Uh,” She answers, feeling courageous (and jealous) enough to continue on with this, “Not really. I prefer more of one-on-one experiments. You know, I think you and I work  _really_ well together. Just us. You understand?” This time, she’s the one that winks at Chloe, and she can see her face turning red. Beca has to admit, it feels great to be in this position for once.

The guy seems confused now. “Yeah, so, we were just wondering because we need to do this group assignment thing for class and we still need some other people. Chloe said you’re good at group experiments.”

Shit.

Fuck.

He’s serious.

“Oh god.” She says, untangling herself from her friend as she starts to walk away.

“Beca wait!” Chloe yells back as she follows Beca towards the Bella house. “Please, just wait.”

“No, Chlo. I uh, I’m kinda tired. I think I’m just going to sleep.”

Chloe puts her hand between the door, stopping Beca from closing it in her face. “Why are you freaking out?” She asks softly, hoping that her voice will calm her friend down too.

“I’m freaking out because I just clearly misinterpreted this entire thing and now I’m embarrassed.” Beca says, not turning around to look at Chloe as she makes her way through the house and towards her own room.

“You mean just now? Beca, it’s totally fine, I thought it was really interesting, actually.”

The brunette shakes her head. “Not just now, Chloe. I saw the look on your face. You were just joking all along and now I have to make it awkward and everything and I just- can you just leave me alone for now? It will be okay.”

Chloe ignores her, of course, and instead follows Beca up the stairs and into the room she shares with Amy. She watches as the brunette throws herself onto the bed, face first, and groans loudly into her pillow.

“Beca. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable all this time, but I think you should know that I wasn’t kidding. I mean, in a way.”

Beca stays silent, and Chloe takes it as a sign that she should keep explaining herself. She sits down on the bed as well, making sure not to touch her friend right now. She doesn’t want to overstimulate Beca.

“So, I could tell you were a little uncomfortable when I brought up the ‘experimenting’ thing in the first place, but I also could tell that you weren’t.. uh.. disgusted by it. I thought that maybe you were interested too, because it looked like that, and that maybe you were just a little afraid. Or thought that I was joking. But I didn’t know how to bring it up, or talk to you about it, so I figured if I just kept on doing it you’d eventually make up your mind about it and I’d know.”

“You’d know what?” Beca asks, barely audible with her face down on her pillow.

“Know if you liked me back, for real.”

Finally, Beca turns around to face Chloe. Her eyes are red like she’s about to cry.

“Chloe, I swear to god if you’re kidding right now I will kill you.”

The redhead chuckles. “I’m not kidding.”

Beca launches herself forward and onto Chloe. It’s a little awkward because Chloe can’t keep her balance and they end up tumbling off the bed and Beca lands on top of her.

“Sorry.” She says with a small smile on her face.

“I wouldn’t even care if you broke my ribs right now Beca. Just kiss me.”

Beca does. Instantly. She crashes their lips together, moving hers slowly over Chloe’s, while she uses her arms to push herself up so that’s she’s not putting all of her weight on the other girl.

“I don’t mind. Please.” Chloe says as she tries to push Beca’s arms away. Beca does, moving to lay half on top of Chloe, half next to her. Her leg ends up between Chloe’s, which isn’t the worst thing that ever happened to her, for sure.

The redhead connects their lips again, instantly deepening the kiss. She can’t believe how good this feels.

Finally, after a couple of minutes of making out, Beca pulls back to look at the woman laying beneath her. Chloe’s lips are swollen, and the lipstick she’d been wearing is smudged out all over her face. Yet, she looks more beautiful than ever.

“When did this stop being about experimenting to you?” She asks softly, and Chloe just smiles.

“It never was.”

Beca frowns. “Then why-“

“Because I had to find some way to break down your walls. I figured straight up telling you I liked you wasn’t going to work.”

The younger woman chuckles. She’s probably right about that. “So you thought that making a whole bunch of experiment jokes and puns was?”

Chloe shrugs. “Well, it got you here, on top of me, right?”

“Honestly, I think it was more the whole thing with that other guy.”

The redhead raises an eyebrow. “Jealously, huh? I never thought the badass Beca effin Mitchell could get jealous.”  

“Shut up.” Beca says, feeling how flushed her face looks right now.

“So, let me get this straight, if I had just kissed a guy way back this probably would have happened sooner?”

“I mean, maybe. I’m really glad you didn’t though.”

Chloe smiles. “Me too. Now uh, serious question, what about Jesse?”

Beca can feel her heart sinking into her shoes. Shit. “Yeah. I mean, I feel horrible, but us breaking up was going to happen either way, Chlo. It was inevitable, and I think we both know that.”

The redhead nods, understanding. “So, you wouldn’t mind if I keep kissing you for now? Or do you want to wait until you’ve talked to Jesse?”

“Honestly, I would, but we’ve already kissed, so I don’t think kissing again is going to make it worse.”

Chloe smiles. “Great, because Beca?”

“Yeah?”

“I have a few hypotheses that I’d like to test out, and I think that you should totes join me in this experiment.”  

“Oh my god, dude, shut up.”

“Make me.”

Their lips find each other’s not a second later, and they both sigh into the kiss, almost not believing that this is actually happening. Chloe likes Beca, and Beca likes Chloe. No jokes, no puns, no games, no nothing. Just the two of them.  


	10. Missed Message - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, Tumblr user 'rejection-isnt-failure' and I were talking about stuff we still really want to read, and she mentioned that she’d like to see a fic about the hostage situation in PP3. Like, with Beca getting injured and Chloe being worried etc.
> 
> So I wrote something for it.
> 
> Rating: T

“Where’s Beca?”

“I don’t know.” Chloe responds, aware of how angry she sounds.

“You don’t have to get mad.” Aubrey whispers, annoyed because of her friend’s behavior.

“I’m not mad I’m worried.”

“About Beca?”

“About everything.”

They’re on a boat. They’re on a boat with Amy’s dad and he looks like he might just kill them. Nobody knows what’s happening. At least they have each other, right? Well, everybody but Amy and Beca, which is a main part of her concern. Her dad got off the phone with Amy about twenty minutes ago, and even though they don’t quite know what they talked about, they know it can’t be good.

They might die.

They might die and all Chloe can think about is Beca.

Why was she such an idiot? Why did she have to focus all of her attention on stupid Chicago when all she wanted was Beca. Always Beca. Yet, she had never wanted to admit it to herself, never wanted to fully commit to it. It was scary, and difficult, and she didn’t know how to deal with it.

She should have just.

Because now she might never see her again.

Apparently, they only have ten minutes more to live.

She pulls out her phone again, because if she’s going to die anyway she might as well risk being seen with her phone. She hides behind Emily and reaches for her phone. Please,  _please_  let there be service.

There is.

She could call the cops, she could call her parents, or Chicago, or basically do anything else that might actually give them a chance here. Instead, she texts Beca.

_‘Hey. I don’t know if you’ll actually get this. I don’t even know what’s going to happen to me. Maybe this is all a big joke, or maybe someone will come and save us. But if not, if I really do die tonight, it can’t be without me telling you that I love you. I love you Beca. I have for the longest time, and I’ve been afraid for so long. Afraid to tell you, afraid to admit it to myself, afraid to be with you. I know it’s too late now, but I just wanted to let you know that I’m not afraid anymore. I love you so much. I just wish I’d had the chance to tell you.’_

She hits send.

Meanwhile, on the small rowboat.

“Come on, we’re almost there!” Amy yells as she pushes Beca to row harder and faster.

Finally, they reach the boat and Beca can’t believe they’re here. They’re here and Amy has a plan and the Bellas are going to be okay.  _Chloe_ is going to be okay.

“Alright,” She says once they’ve figured out what to do, “I’ll see you soon, yes?”

“See you soon.” Amy promises, before Beca disappears up the stairs.

She ducks down quickly and then slides behind Chloe. It’s the easiest, really. She pretends that she didn’t notice that Jessica or Ashley, or even Aubrey, were sitting closer to the stairs. It just made sense to her to be with Chloe.

She waits for about thirty seconds before the perfect opportunity presents itself.

“Ten minutes, ladies.” Fergus says.

“Guys, you know what we should do?” Beca says out loud, sliding out from behind Chloe to look at her friends.

“Where did you come from?” Amy’s dad asks her, and she can practically feel Chloe’s eyes burning holes into the side of her face.

“What?” She asks, trying to sound confident while her heart is beating in her chest. Everything depended on him believing her in this moment.

“You weren’t here before.” He answers, and she can feel her palms starting to get sweaty. It also doesn’t help that Chloe is still sitting so fucking close and staring at her  _like that._ She doesn’t know what to do with it so she just chooses not to make eye contact for now, hoping that will make it easier.

“I’ve been here the whole time.” She stammers, “I’m.. just small.”

Finally, she dares to make eye contact with the redhead, but only for a split second. Chloe narrows her eyes at her, clearly trying to understand what Beca’s plan is. She looks over at Fergus before quickly looking back at Chloe once again, silently telling her ‘just go with it’. The redhead nods slightly, enough for Beca to know that she can do this.

“Just,” she starts, standing up now, “if we only have ten minutes left, I say we spend it doing something we love.” It’s such an out of character thing to say, which her voice all high and smiling sweetly. She knows her friends will notice the odd behavior and will – hopefully – pick up on her plan.

“Let’s go out like Bellas and sing one more song.” she looks over at Chloe now, staring directly into the other girl’s eyes will she ducks her head down a little, hoping Chloe will understand what she’s trying to do. After all, she’s the one who knows her best. They can say a million things to each other without ever actually saying a word.

But Chloe just narrows her eyes in confusion, while the other Bellas question her proposal. Great. She understands though, they’re scared, and have no idea what kind of real danger they’re in. But Beca knows Amy. And she knows Amy with a plan. If she had to guess, there’s about an 87 percent chance this boat is going to blow up in the next ten minutes.

“I think we should sing one more song.” She says, and it comes out rushed and high pitched and slightly too aggressive and too fast. But then she looks down and Chloe is nodding and she gets it. Of course, she does.

“Guys, I just want to sing so badly.” Beca adds, hoping everyone else will understand too. “We really think you’ll like it.”

He gives them ten minutes, which is enough, she hopes.

Beca looks at Chloe one more time and that’s enough.

The other Bellas start ‘toxic’ and Chloe takes her place up front, she’s the lead vocals for this, and it’s one of the songs they always keep as a backup, in case anything else goes wrong.

Halfway through the song, however, Beca moves to stand in front of Chloe, instead of remaining in her position beside her. The two Bellas share a look, and Chloe gives her the slightest nod. She understands. She moves away and lets Beca take the lead, trusting her.

Even though this is normally her part, she knows that they all have to follow Beca’s lead right now, because their friend clearly has a plan, and they better listen if they want to get out of this alive.

Beca looks up and notices Amy above them, and she can tell that Cynthia Rose has noticed her too by now. So has Chloe. They start ushering the Bellas to the side, making sure they won’t be crushed when Amy jumps down.

The Australian does just that, seconds later. She jumps down and pulls out the fire extinguisher and then everything is pure chaos. The Bellas are running away and jumping off the ship. Beca watches as Chloe runs towards the edge, and she keeps watching until she can see her jumping off. Good. Chloe’s safe.

“Amy! Let’s go!” She yells, running back to her friend and pulling on her sleeve to get her to come with her. She drops the fire extinguisher just as the boat goes up in flames. Amy makes it to the edge and jumps over. Beca, however, falls over because of the blast. The second she hits the deck she realizes that her ankle is broken. Shit. It hurts like hell and there’s nothing she can do. Amy’s father and his men have made it to the side of the boat and are now jumping out into the water as well. She’s now officially the only person left on this boat.

Fuck.

* * *

“Do we have everyone?” Aubrey yells as she starts counting the Bellas.

“Beca!” Chloe screams back, her voice already hoarse. “I can’t find Beca.”

“She was right behind me.” Amy responds, not sure what happened.

“Did you see her jumping off?” Chloe pushes, wanting to know what happened. She looks up to the boat, and she can feel her heart starting to beat faster in her chest. Please,  _please_ don’t let her still be on that boat.

“Uh. Yeah- No. I don’t know. She was behind me, I think.”

“Amy!”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know, okay! We were both just trying to get off as fast as possible.”

“Let’s yell together.” Aubrey says, and they do.

“BECA!”

* * *

She can hear them. She can hear them and they’re so close but she can’t move. She can only drag herself further across the deck, away from the flames which keep getting closer and closer.

She might die.

She might die and she never told Chloe that she loved her.

The flames are really close now, and it’s getting harder to breathe and her ankle is  _fucking_ killing her. Plus, she’s tired suddenly. There’s just so much smoke around her. She can’t see them, and their screams are starting to fade away as her eyes fall shut.

* * *

The next time Beca opens her eyes she’s in a hospital room. She knows because she can hear the machines beeping in the background, plus she’s laying on a very uncomfortable pillow.

Her ankle is still hurting, but the pain is definitely less now. There’s also a bandage around her wrist, and as she looks down she remembers feeling it hurt earlier. She must have burned herself.

Aubrey’s next to her, asleep.

Out of all the people she thought would be in this room next to her, Aubrey was probably the last of them. Yet, here she is, wrapped in a blanket with her head resting uncomfortably on her own arm.

“Aubrey.” She says, because she’s really thirsty and she needs to know what happened, she needs to know that everyone else is okay and that Fergus is in jail and that they’ll be alright.

The blonde wakes up instantly. “Beca!” She says, sounding relieved, “You’re awake!”

“Looks like I am, yeah. Is everyone-“

“They’re great. Worried about you, of course. The doctor said that you inhaled some smoke, plus you broke your ankle and your wrist has a small burn. It’s nothing too bad though, and you should be totally okay by tomorrow.”

“Good. That’s uh- that’s good.”

Chloe.

That’s all she can think.

She doesn’t want to ask, to seem _that_ desperate, but she needs to see her.

Aubrey seems to understand.

“I’ll get her.” She just says, and Beca nods. She’s too tired to pretend like that’s not what she wanted.

The redhead comes barging into her room minutes later, and Beca can tell she’s been crying.

“Bec!” Chloe screams, jumping onto her bed and wrapping her up in a tight hug. Beca groans, because it does hurt, but when Chloe notices and starts to pull back, she just hugs her tighter and buries her head in the crook of her neck.

“I thought I lost you.” Chloe whispers, and Beca can start to feel the tears streaming down her own face, and by the sound of Chloe’s voice, she’s pretty sure the other woman is crying too.

“I’m not going anywhere, Chlo. You guys aren’t getting rid of me that easily.”

“Good,” Chloe says, finally pulling back. “Because you still have an amazing performance to give.”

She frowns, not quite understanding. “Amy told us that DJ Khaled picked you. You deserve it Becs, we’re your family, we’d never hold you back from something like that.”

“Thank you. I uh- I love you guys.” She didn’t want to add that last word, but she chickened out.

“We love you too. They rescheduled the performance for tomorrow, by the way, so you have some time to rest and everything.”

“That’s great. I think I’ll be okay.”

Chloe nods, then reaches out to wipe away a tear on Beca’s cheek. Her hand lingers, and the brunette can tell she’s desperate for physical contact. Chloe usually is, but especially in situations like this. She can also tell that she’s holding herself back, not wanting to push Beca too much. It’s incredibly sweet, and it makes her love her even more.

She puts a hand on Chloe’s arm and pulls on it slightly. “Come here, you weirdo.”

Chloe is in her arms again in a second. It feels so great, and so right, and she never wants to let go. It’s not something she ever thought she’d want, or need, but with Chloe she does.

She closes her eyes for a second, just enjoying the moment. “So uh- I kinda- I have something I want to tell you.” Beca starts, and Chloe has a feeling what this is about.

Beca must have seen the message on her phone by now.

The brunette holds her tight, trying to gather the courage to say what she wants to say. “I wanted to say that I-“ Right at that moment, Chicago walks into her room. He leans against the wall, smiling softly at her and giving her slight nod as a way of greeting her.

Shit.

Why is she such an idiot?

How could she have forgotten about him?

Of course, Chloe had been with him, of course, she’d run to him for comfort.  _He_ was the one she wanted, not her.

“Beca?” The redhead asks, her arms still wrapped around Beca. From their position, Chloe can’t see Chicago, but she can feel how stiff the other woman’s body has become in their hug.

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

She pulls back then, staring into Beca’s eyes.

“No uh, I’m okay. I just- I guess I just wanted to say that I’m happy for you.”

Chloe frowns. “Why?”

“Because of him.” She says, lowering her voice so that he won’t hear. “I think you and Chicago could have something really special. I’m happy for you, Chlo.”

Finally, Chloe notices that Beca is staring at something behind her. She turns around and there’s Chicago, smiling sweetly at her and giving her a small wave. “Beca, wait. I don’t understand.. what about the message?”

Beca shakes her head. “I uh. I just need to rest. Can you just leave me alone now? Please?”

She pulls away from her friend completely and slides down under the covers and on her side, facing away from Chloe.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Her voice sounds unsteady, she knows, and she can’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She’s sure Chloe notices, but she doesn’t even care.

“Let’s give Ms. Mitchell the rest she needs.” She can hear Chicago say, and although Chloe doesn’t answer, she can picture her wrapping her arm around Chicago’s waist as they leave her room.

* * *

She doesn’t see Chloe again until the next evening. She’s been discharged from the hospital, and Amy came and picked her up.

When they get there, she’s excited. Despite everything happening with Chloe, she’s happy to see her friends (alive and well) and to be able to do this. Even on crutches it’s pretty awesome.

Her eyes land on Chloe, who’s sitting next to Chicago, and she looks away instantly. It’s too painful.

She focuses on her performance, which goes amazing, and she even invites the other Bellas up on the stage with her. It’s odd, because Chloe is keeping her distance from her and she doesn’t know what to do with it. Sure, it was her who pushed the other woman away yesterday, but she thought that Chloe would be happy about what she said.

She tries to get to her once she’s done singing, but the redhead is too fast and is already gone by the time Beca makes her way over towards where she was before.

“Beca.” Amy says, moving to stand in front of her. She really doesn’t want to deal with this right now, no matter how much she likes her friend. “I just wanted to give you this.” The blonde says, pushing something into her hand. It’s her phone.

“Where did you find this? I’ve been looking all over for it.”

“You left it on the boat. It must have, you know, fallen out of your pocket when you became intimate with the deck. The police handed it over to me.”

“Thanks, Amy!”

The blonde salutes her and then walks off.

She opens up her messages, surprised she has a missed one from Chloe, and starts to read.

Her heart starts pounding as she reads the message. She can’t believe this is happening, can’t believe she’s actually reading this.

Her palms are sweaty and suddenly, the crutches don’t feel strong enough to hold her up. She needs to lean against a wall, needs to find a way to breathe.

_‘It can’t be without me telling you that I love you.’_

She reads it over and over and over again. Her ankle is hurting, now that she’s only really using the one crutch to find a place where she can hide. Away from the others, away from the music, away from it all.

_‘I love you Beca.’_

Chloe loves Beca.

And Chloe thought that Beca had read her message, that is clear now from what she had said in the hospital room.

Which means that Chloe thought Beca didn’t love her back.

It’s almost too painful to handle. Her heart is beating fast and it physically hurts to breathe. And walk.

She needs to find Chloe right now.

It seems like the universe is listening to her, because right at that moment, Chloe comes walking towards her from another direction, but she doesn’t see her, and she’s dragging Chicago along with her. They’re laughing about something, but Beca can tell that it’s not an honest laugh. She’s known Chloe for a while now, she can tell what’s real and what isn’t. Honestly, she looks like she’s hurting too.

_‘I wish I’d had the chance to tell you.’_

Beca feels the same way now, except that maybe, if she plays her cards right, she will get a chance to tell her.

But she needs to hurry. Because Chicago has that look on his face and he’s putting his arms around Chloe’s waist and pulling her closer and Beca knows what’s going to happen.

But it’s not too late, not this time.

She pulls up Chloe’s contact information and calls her.

Just as Chicago is leaning in, she can hear her friend’s phone ringing. She knows she could have just walked over, interrupted them, but she needs Chloe to make this decision, she needs to know that she still has a chance to make this right.

“Just ignore it.” Chicago says, still leaning in.

Chloe smiles, but then shakes her head. “It could be important.”

Beca can see the frown on her face as she reads her name. “Well, is it?” He asks.

She looks up to him, and then back at her phone a couple of times, clearly unsure what to do. Beca knows she’s fighting a battle within. If she’s smart she doesn’t answer, because Chloe still thinks Beca’s not interested, and if she truly wanted to move past it, to make a better future for herself, she wouldn’t answer.

So Beca hopes she proves her wrong. Beca hopes she stays true to who she is.

“I’m sorry,” Chloe says, “I have to answer this.”

She moves away from him a little, and Beca has to step further away to avoid being seen.

“Beca.” She sounds annoyed. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry about what?”

“I’m sorry about what I said yesterday. I didn’t mean it; I didn’t want to say that. But I had no idea. I didn’t know yet but now I do and I just have to tell you.”

There’s a small pause, and Beca can see that Chloe has brought her hand up to her mouth. She looks confused, and upset.

“I don’t understand, Bec.” She can hear her voice breaking, and clearly, so can Chicago, because he’s reaching out for her now, but she shakes her head and pulls away from him.

“I didn’t have my phone, Chlo. I didn’t have my phone until just now. It was on the boat, the police found it.”

Her eyes widen, and Beca can see that she understands what’s happening.

“You mean you hadn’t-“

“I didn’t read the message until just now.”

Chloe’s full on crying now, and she moves to sit on a bench. Chicago moves with her, but she refuses his comfort once again.

“Listen, Chloe, I’m sorry. I’m sorry if this is too much and you want to think, or be with him, or whatever. But I love you. I love you too and I just wanted to let you know that it’s not too late. We’re not dead. You have a chance to tell me. And you don’t have to do it right now, because I know you’re with him and-“

“Wait,” Chloe interrupts, “how do you know?”

“Oh.” Beca answers, “I’m kinda stalking you right now. Sorry. Not on purpose, I promise.”

Chloe chuckles. “Where?”

“Behind the pillar. But don’t look too fast.”

Chloe waits a moment, and then looks over. She sees her. It’s hard because it’s a little far away, and Beca’s standing in the darkness, but there she is. She smiles.

“Think about it, will you? I’m going back to my hotel room.”

“Okay.”

“I love you, Chloe.”

She hangs up then.

* * *

“I uh- I have to go.” Chloe says after a few minutes of silence. She’s sure Beca is too far gone to see them now, which gives her the freedom to say what she wants to say.

“Yeah. I was afraid.”

She smiles softly. “It’s just.. she needs me.”

“She loves you, you know.”

She whips her head around, her eyes widening as she looks at him. “How do you- why do you think that?”

He smiles at her. “Everything, really. The way she’s always looking where you are, the way she places a hand on your lower back, or how she stares at you when you’re not looking, the way she closed her eyes and smiled when she hugged you yesterday.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. I just didn’t know you loved her back.”

She doesn’t know what to say, so she opts for a simple. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He answers finally. “Don’t worry about me. I mean, this was fun, but it’s not  _that_.”

She looks up at him and smiles. “Thank you.”

“No problem, now go get your girl.”

* * *

Beca’s been sitting in her hotel room by herself for about fifteen minutes now. Chloe still hasn’t shown up.

Just as she’s about to give up there’s a knock at her door.

“The door’s open.” She says, because getting up with her ankle is really too much of a struggle.

The door’s pushed open, and then Chloe is walking in, smiling brighter than Beca has seen her smile in months.

“Beca.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’ve said that.”

“I love you.”

“You’ve said that too.”

“Are you complaining?”

“No. I love you too.”

Beca smiles. “Come over here, please.”

Chloe does. She rushes over towards the bed and stands in front of Beca, who manages to push herself into an upright position, holding onto Chloe’s arms to steady herself.

“Does it hurt?”

“A little, but it’s worth it. I want you to kiss me, and then I want you to do much more than kissing, until it’s the morning, and then I want to get on a plane back to Brooklyn with you and continue waking up to you every morning while I press a kiss to your mouth and tell you that you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

Chloe chuckles. “Where’s my Beca and what have you done with her?”

The brunette laughs too. “She fell in love with you.”

Chloe doesn’t know how to respond to that, so instead she just leans in and presses her lips against Beca’s. Beca whimpers and deepens the kiss almost immediately, her tongue tracing the redhead’s lower lip until she lets her in and their tongues meet for the first time.

It’s amazing. It’s so much better than she thought it would be, which she never thought was possible in the first place.

Beca’s ankle is starting to hurt though, so she pulls back from the kiss. “Hey so uh, I don’t want to be too forward, but my ankle is kinda really killing me here. Do you think that we could continue this on the bed?”

Chloe smiles. “I’d love that.”  

They kiss again, softly this time.

“I’m so glad you didn’t die.”

Beca laughs. “Well, keep kissing me like that, and I still might.”

And honestly? Dying like this wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.  


	11. Lingerie store - M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Oh maaan I was just about to send you a prompt but selfishly liked it so much I might write it myself. But I’ll still give you the simplified version of the Bechloe prompt: ‘Lingerie store’ big fan btw - you’re doing an awesome job with yo’ prompts buddy_
> 
> Rating: M (to be safe)

“I really,  _really_ don’t want to do this, you know.”

“I  _do_  know. You’ve told me fifty times in the last three minutes. I will also gladly remind you of the fact that it was  _you_ who suggested this.”

Beca groans. She doesn’t really remember the moment itself (there was a lot of alcohol involved) but apparently, last night, she’d told Chloe that ‘we should totes (she’s pretty sure she didn’t actually use that word, even though Amy swears she did) go and shop for lingerie together tomorrow’.

“I’m not sure that actually happened.”

“Amy has a video.”

“You’ve said that, although so far, I have not seen a single second of this video.”

“She’ll send it later.”

“Sure.”

Still, though, they’re here, and there’s no turning back now.

It’s not that she really doesn’t want to do this. In fact, Beca has probably daydreamed about seeing Chloe in her underwear about a million times.

Well, that just makes her sound like a creep.

She’s just.. Chloe’s just..

She’s Chloe.

And she’s beautiful and ‘confident about all that’ and she doesn’t care and there’s about a 98.5% chance that she’ll pull Beca into the changing room for some help or advice and there’s a 100% chance that Beca will be awkward and blushing and trying (but also not really) not to stare and then Chloe will tease her about it and god.. this really is just a disaster waiting to happen. She’s never drinking again, seriously.

Yet, Beca is here, making her way through the store. She’s holding a good twenty pair of bras in her hands (human shopping cart Beca Mitchell, ladies and gents) while the redhead asks her what color she thinks will look nice on her.

“Uh. Don’t know. I bet they will all look nice.” She answers with a shrug, not really comfortable giving advice.

“Come on Becs. What color do you like?”

She shrugs again. “Anything, really.”

Chloe doesn’t seem satisfied with the answer and steps closer to where her best friend is standing. Beca thinks she’s going to relieve her of the bras, and allows Chloe to step into her bubble. What she doesn’t expect, however, is for the other woman to pull her shirt from her chest so she can peer into it.

Beca steps back immediately, as if she was burned. “Uh dude. What the fuck are you doing exactly?”

She holds the bras in front of her own chest now, watching the bemused expression on Chloe’s face.

“I thought I’d check what you’re wearing right now, you know, see what kind of color you think is nice.”

Beca raises an eyebrow. “First of all, that’s weird.”

Chloe just smiles brighter. She doesn’t care. She doesn’t do boundaries.

“Secondly, you could have asked.”

“Would you have answered?”

Beca rolls her eyes. “No, but I would have preferred it over you trying to get me out of my clothes in the middle of the store.”

“Oh, so you would have been okay with it if I did it in the dressing room, huh? Good to know.” Chloe says with a teasing smile on her face.

“Oh my god, dude. Just- get the blue one okay. It uh.. it will look nice with your eyes and stuff.” Beca stammers, realizing she’s blushing. They’ve only been in this store for about ten minutes and she’s already beyond embarrassed.

Chloe smiles and reaches for the bra. She’s had her eye on this particular one ever since they walked in, but honestly, teasing Beca is way more fun. Plus, it’s nice to know she has good taste.

“Awes.” She says, “Let’s go try them on.”

The brunette rolls her eyes, but follows Chloe towards the dressing rooms without complaining.

“Right.” She says once they get there. “Here you go.”

Chloe takes the bras from her and steps into one of the empty rooms. She winks at Beca before closing the curtain, giving the brunette a moment to finally relieve the breath she’d been holding for the last twenty minutes.

She doesn’t get much of a break though, because about two minutes later, Chloe’s head is peeping out from behind the curtain.

“Hey Becs?”

She looks up from her phone, swallowing hard. Just the idea that Chloe is probably only wearing a bra right now is too much for her to handle. “Uh. Yeah? What’s up?”

Chloe smiles, and Beca knows she can tell that she’s uncomfortable. She clears her throat and tries to appear a little more confident and less freaked out.

“Can you help? I’m not sure this looks good.”

“I’m sure it does.” She answers, knowing Chloe won’t accept it, but trying regardless.

The redhead shakes her head, a small smile still on her face. “I just need your opinion.” She steps out from behind the curtain then, into the store itself, and immediately Beca is on her feet, looking around her to see if other people are looking at them.

“Dude! Get in there.”

As she pushes Chloe back into the stall, her hands land on her best friend’s bare waist, and it’s almost too much to handle.

“What the hell are you doing?” She asks once she’s closed the curtain behind them.

The redhead just shrugs. “I wanted to know what you thought of this, and you wouldn’t come in.”

“So you figured you’d give the whole store a show?”

She smiles. “I’m guessing that means you think this looks nice?”

Beca’s face is red, she knows. She also knows that Chloe knows.

If only she had a time machine and could go back in time to punch her drunk self in the face for thinking this was a good idea.   
  
“Uh yeah. Good choice. I uh- yeah.. the red looks nice on you.”

She glances down, her eyes only lingering for a split second before darting away, looking anywhere but at Chloe.

Chloe thinks it’s the cutest thing she’s ever seen. Plus, Beca’s hot when she’s all flustered like this. Teasing her is just way too much fun.

“Do you think the size is right?”

Beca actually groans. “Does it feel right?”

“I don’t know.”

“How do you not know?”

There’s a small pause, and Beca finally dares to make eye contact with Chloe again. It’s  _so hard_ not to look down, but she manages. Somehow.

“I don’t know. I guess this is my size, but I just feel like they might have a bit too much filling, or something.”

“Looks fine to me.”

Chloe chuckles. “You’ve barely looked.”

Beca rolls her eyes, only making Chloe laugh harder.

“Besides, that’s not how you can tell.”

Beca has a feeling where this is going. Before she can stop it, Chloe is reaching out for her hand, and pulling it towards her chest.

“Dude, no. Come on.”

“What?” She says innocently, “You’re a girl, you know if this feels natural.”

“I’m not going to touch your… bra, Chlo.”

Chloe smiles, but releases Beca’s hand. “Your loss. Anyway, I don’t love this one that much anyway. I think I’m gonna try on the blue one now.” She winks at Beca, then reaches behind herself to unclasp the bra.

Beca doesn’t know how fast to turn around, almost falling over in the process. “Oh my god, Chlo. Give me a warning next time or something.”

“What?” Chloe says, and even though Beca can’t see her, she knows she’s smiling, “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

The brunette mumbles something that Chloe can’t quite understand, before quickly disappearing out of the room again.

“Hey Bec?”

It’s been another three minutes of peace. Definitely not enough to get her heart rate down to a normal level.

“Yes..?” She says, sounding slightly annoyed.

“Just come check this one out, please. I think this one is my favorite.”

“Then why do I need to see it?”

“Because you chose this one! It’s special!”

Beca rolls her eyes, but enters the dressing room anyway. She’s not going to risk Chloe walking out like that again.

This time, it’s a little harder to tear her eyes away from Chloe’s test. She knows that Chloe can tell she’s staring – basically drooling- but she just can’t look away.

“I guess you like it, huh?”

“Wha- Sorry, what?” Beca stammers, closing her mouth and making eye contact with her friend, who has a teasing smile on her face.

“Do you think it looks nice?”

“Uh yeah,” Beca answers, “The uh, the blue works really well with your eyes. You should definitely get this one.”

Chloe chuckles. “Oh trust me, with a reaction like that, I definitely am.”

The brunette blushes once more. “Yeah. I mean.. uh- your uh- I bet your boyfriend will think it’s amazing.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend, Bec. You know that. Besides, it’s not his reaction that I care about.”

Okay, she’s officially confused now.

What is happening right now?

Is Chloe seriously flirting with her?

I mean, yes, she does that all the time, but not like this. She looks flushed, honestly, and Beca can tell she’s breathing hard by the way her chest goes up and down. (damnit Beca, stop looking).

She decides to test it out, feeling suddenly courageous.

“Do you.. do you think the filling is good?”

Chloe knows she has to stay calm now, play her cards well. She doesn’t want to freak Beca out by flirting too much, so she tries to find the perfect place in between.

“I’m not sure. Would you mind feeling it for me?”

It works.

Beca nods, and suddenly she’s reaching out (her hand’s shaking, Chloe can tell) and then a second later, it’s on her chest.

Chloe waits a second, and then puts her own hand on top of Beca’s. She’s less cautious now, pretty sure Beca isn’t going to freak out.  

She squeezes Beca’s hand, which now squeezes her breast. The brunette’s mouth falls open and she gasps, and Chloe has to stop herself from jumping her right then, right there.

“That uh,” her voice is hoarse, “that feels good. I think.”

“You sure?” The older girl asks, squeezing again.

“Yep. Yeah. Pretty sure.”

Beca removes her hand then, because she feels weird just leaving it there.

“Hey Beca?”

“Yeah?”

Chloe leans in close, letting her mouth brush Beca’s ear. She can feel Beca’s hot breath against her cheek.

“Thanks for helping.”

She pulls open the curtain behind Beca, then pushes her forward and winks at her before closing the curtain in front of the other woman.

Beca just stands there, staring at the closed curtain for a full minute, then she realizes her mouth is still hanging open and she closes it, sitting down in the chair she had previously occupied.

“How did I not just get kissed?” She mumbles to herself. 

Inside the stall, Chloe is smiling happily, pleased with how this turned out. Yes, she may have lied about what Beca said last night, and yes, there may not be a video. Nevertheless, it was  _so_ worth it. 

Now all she has to do is find an opportunity to ‘accidentally’ bump into Beca while wearing her new purchase - and nothing but it - and she’s pretty sure the other woman will finally cave. Chloe for one, can’t wait. 


	12. Valentine's Day - E

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was my Valentine's Day one-shot :) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Rating: E

**July 11** ** th ** **, 2016  
France, end of the USO tour  
10:03PM  **

“You’re just too late, Beca.”

Tears stream down her face as she tries to reach for her best friend, who only pulls further away from her.

“I can’t. Please.”

“I’m sorry Chlo, I’m  _so_ sorry. I know I waited too long, but you know it’s there. You  _know_ what I feel.” 

A shake of her head. “I do know. But it’s not enough.”

“Please just let me- give me a chance.“

“You can’t even say it.”

More tears fall down, clouding her vision. “No, I can. I promise I can. I  _will._ ” She sounds unsure, and in her heart she knows that Chloe is right. She’s too scared. Again.

Her eyes move to where Chicago is standing, not far behind Chloe, and she can tell he’s listening.

“Just.. not here. Not now.”

Chloe shakes her head once again, her own tears rolling down her cheeks as well. “Goodbye, Beca.”

* * *

**February 15** ** th ** **, 2017.  
Los Angeles, Beca Mitchell’s home.   
1:02 AM**

There’s a knock at her door.

It’s 1 am and there’s definitely a knock at her door. She reaches for the nightlight and then gets out of bed, slowly making her way over towards the door.

“Who is it?” She calls out, keeping her hand close to the alarm she has installed, in case she needs to call the police.

It’s quiet for a few seconds.

“It’s me.”

She recognizes her voice instantly. Even though it’s quiet, and it sounds  _so_ not like her, she can tell. She can always tell. It’s the same voice that haunts her in her sleep.

“Chloe. What are you doing her?”

“Can you just- can you please let me in.”

“Yeah, uh, give me a sec.” She takes a couple of deep breaths, her hand on the doorknob as she prepares herself, before finally pulling it open.

There she is.

She looks different.

Her hair is a little shorter, shorter than the length she had when they just met, and she looks tired. Like, really tired. Not ‘1am tired’ but tired like she’s been tired for weeks, or months.

She looks how Beca feels most of the time.

“Can I come in?” She asks, and she sounds so small. Immediately, Beca steps aside to let her into her house.

“What uh- what are you doing here? I thought you were in New York. Or uh- is he- you know.. is it work stuff?” She can’t say it, not even after all this time. It still hurts too much.

“No.” Is all Chloe gives as a response, before surprising Beca by throwing her arms around her.

She doesn’t know what to do.

She knows what she wants to do.

She wants to wrap her arms around Chloe as tight as she can and never let go.

But she can’t.   
  
“I know.” Chloe says, “I know, but please just for a second, okay?”

Apparently, she still knows how to read Beca’s mind.

She can do a second. She can forget about everything that happened for a second.

Finally, her arms find their way around Chloe’s waist and she pulls her tightly against her. Instantly, Chloe is crying loudly into her shoulder, and it makes her heart clench painfully in her chest. She can’t bear to see her friend (if she can even still call her that) in this much pain. One of her hands starts rubbing a pattern on Chloe’s back while she whispers in her ear that everything is going to be alright. She’s not good at this, but Chloe did the same to her once, many years ago, and it had helped.

Finally, after what feels like forever (definitely way more than ‘a second’) Chloe pulls back and wipes at her eyes.

“Do you-“ Beca tentatively starts, “Do you want to talk about it?’

Chloe shakes her head, which surprises her.

“Not tonight. Can I stay here? Please.”

Beca nods. “Of course.”

She now notices the suitcase Chloe had brought with her, and she wonders how she didn’t catch it before. She can see Chloe following her gaze, and the redhead now bites her lower lip, clearly wondering if she’s made a mistake here.

Beca pushes past her and just grabs the suitcase, then reaches out to give Chloe’s hand a gentle squeeze before carrying it into her house. “Let’s get you settled, Chlo.” Her smile is light and careless and she can tell that it’s what Chloe needed because the redhead releases a deep breath and smiles softly too. It’s nowhere near her usual bright smiles that Beca has come to miss so very much, but it’s a start.

She carries the suitcase to her guest room, and then opens it up while Chloe stands still behind her in the doorway. She reaches in and quickly finds Chloe’s pajamas, an old Bella shirt and some shorts. It makes her smile sadly, remembering how Chloe used to wear them when they still lived together.

Beca then pulls the covers of the bed back and plugs Chloe’s phone charger into the wall.

“Alright Miss.” She says, trying to sound casual even though everything about this situation is freaking her out, “Your bathroom is just through here, there’s a spare toothbrush if you need it. I’m just down the hall, so just come and get me or text me if there’s anything you need.” She steps closer and squeezes Chloe’s shoulders, finally getting the girl to look at her. “I mean it, Chlo. Anything.”

“Thanks Bec.” She’s tearing up again, and Beca wishes she’d just talk to her, but she knows that she can’t push her right now.

“Okay. Goodnight.”

“Night.”

She wakes up again a little after 4am. There’s a knocking again, except this time it’s on her bedroom door.

“Chloe?” She calls out, now knowing who’s on the other side.

“I’m uh- I’m sorry.” She says, “I couldn’t sleep.”

“It’s okay, come in.” Beca answers, sitting up on the bed.

Chloe walks in then, and Beca can tell she’s been crying again.

“I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“Stop apologizing.” The brunette pulls back the covers on her side of the bed, and then gestures towards Chloe to come over.

Thankfully, Chloe accepts, and she slides into the bed next to her.

“Turn around.” Beca says once the redhead is laying down. Chloe looks confused for a second, but then turns away from Beca and onto her side.

“You don’t have to talk,” the brunette says once Chloe is settled. She starts tracing patterns across the redhead’s back again, writing out letters but not really making words and sometimes pressing down harder when she feels a tight muscle. “I just thought it might be easier not to face me if you wanted to. It always helped me.”

She can feel Chloe start to shudder beneath her fingers, and she wants to hug her, pull her close, but she can also tell that her friend is overwhelmed right now. So instead, she just keeps the soothing motion of her fingers going while she waits for her to calm down.

“Chicago proposed to me.” She finally says, and instantly, Beca’s fingers still.

She swallows hard. “Oh.” Is all she manages to respond. “What uh- What happened?”

“I said no.”

She doesn’t want to be happy about it. She really  _really_ doesn’t.

“Why?” Beca dares to ask.

“Because of you.”

It’s silent.

Beca doesn’t know what to say.

“Beca, I just-“ Chloe turns around then, and their eyes meet. “I couldn’t do it. I thought I was happy, I  _really_ thought so.”

Beca just nods, and reaches for her hand, silently encouraging her to go on. “I hate myself so much. I hate that I can’t be happy without you. I hate that I can’t love anyone but you. I want to. I want to so badly. But it’s always you, it’s always been you.”

Now she really doesn’t know what to say. The last thing she had expected was for Chloe to tell her this. They’ve had this conversation before, a few years ago. It started with smiles and butterflies and  _hope_ and it ended with Beca being scared and pushing Chloe away and  _tears._

And then when she was finally ready to tell her, she didn’t do it right, and she messed up, and she was just.. too late. Like Chloe had told her.

She had missed her chance,  _they_ had missed their chance.

It was better to move on, for the both of them.

Yet, here Chloe was, telling her the same thing she’d told her all those years ago when Beca had just broken up with Jesse.

And now, Chloe had just broken up with Chicago.

She hated how this thing between them always came from tears, and heartbreak, and overwhelming and confusing feelings.

They never seemed to quite get it right.

“Chloe, I-“ She starts, but the redhead interrupts her.

“No, wait. Whatever you have to say, wait.”

Beca frowns at that.

“I just- I’d understand if you don’t want me in your life anymore, really, I would. If you’ve moved on more successfully than me and there’s no longer a place for me in your heart, I’d understand. But if there is even the slightest chance that you still love me, still want to do this, then don’t tell me. Just, be my friend.”

“But I-“

“No, Beca. I just need you to be my friend now, if you think you can do that. I want this, I want  _you.”_ She smiles softly as she breaks eye contact. “I want to someday say  _yes_  to you when you ask me that question.”

Beca can feel her heart pounding in her chest at Chloe’s confession.

“But I don’t want to get there like this. I don’t want to be with you now because I want this to be a good thing again. And it wouldn’t be now. We’re upset, and confused, and I still have to sort out many things. I want to be your best friend, and fall hopelessly in love with you all over again. And then, when the time is right, I want us to be together, if you want that too. No boyfriends, no missed chances, no ‘what if’s’, just us. I want that.”

Beca understands. She feels confused as well. Sure, all she had wanted these past seven months was Chloe. It was all she’d been thinking about. But she understood her. She didn’t want to start like this either, it wasn’t what they deserved.

“Chloe Beale,” She says, “Will you be my best friend?”

Chloe laughs, finally.

“I’d like nothing more.”

* * *

**31** ** th ** **of December, 2017  
New York City, Amy’s place  
** **11:48 PM** **  
**

Beca doesn’t like to admit it. Not to herself, and definitely not to her friends (because she’s  _really_ not that kind of girl) but she loves them. She loves her friends and her life, her job and most of all, she loves Chloe.

And Chloe loves her.

But they’re just best friends for now.

It’s been ever better than she had expected, them being friends again.

The first month had been a little rough, with Chicago stopping by Beca’s place unannounced and demanding an explanation.

It had been a little awkward explaining why exactly, when she knew she was the reason why, but she couldn’t tell him that. Chloe had hidden in her room during the duration of the conversation, and had hugged Beca later when she had told her that Chicago understood, and he wouldn’t bother her again.

After that, things had gotten better.

So good even, that after one month of Chloe crashing at her place, Beca had offered her to stay, be her roommate again. She even got Chloe a spot in one of the vet schools of LA, so she could continue on with her study. Beca had enough room, and certainly enough money now that she was producing, and it would just be better for all of them.

Chloe had thrown her arms around her and had refused to let her go for almost a full ten minutes.

It was like living in Brooklyn together again. Except this time, without a whole lot of worries.

Beca had a job that she actually enjoyed.

Chloe was in school.

Amy wasn’t there to watch their every move.

And they loved each other. But this time, there was no Jesse, no Chicago, no ‘what will happen if-‘ and ‘I’m too scared, what if she doesn’t love me back for real’. None of that. They both knew what they wanted, but they also knew that it needed time.

After three months, Chloe started flirting with her again. Nothing outrageous, not like ‘stepping into the shower with you and harmonize together’. Just winks and teasing comments and brushes against her shoulder and her lower back. Enough to make her blush, and stammer and stare off into space. Which usually earned her another wink. Chloe knew just how to push her buttons.

Nothing ever happened. It was just smiles and butterflies and sweaty palms and a lot of mixtapes from Beca’s part. 

It was good, and familiar. They knew how to do this dance. Except this time, Beca intended to finish it.

So today, today they were at Amy’s New Year’s party with the other Bellas and they were tipsy and happy and reunited and they had already sung six songs together.

“I’m so happy we came.” Chloe whispers in Beca’s ear.

“Me too.” Beca says with a big smile, unable to hold it back.

“You’re such a softy, Mitchell.”

Beca rolls her eyes. “Well, you love me anyway.”

“I do.” Chloe says, and it isn’t the first time they’ve said it since then, but it’s the one that feels the most real for sure. Not in a friendly way, for sure.

“Hey uh, can I talk to you for a sec?” Chloe then asks, and Beca nods. She guides the two of them out onto the balcony, where it’s empty. It’s a cold night, and they’re instantly shivering, but at least they can actually hear each other.

It’s close to midnight, Beca can tell.

“What’s up?” She asks, trying to sound casual even though she has a feeling what’s happening.

Chloe smiles softly at her, then steps closer so that she can grab Beca’s hands.

“Beca.”

“Chloe.” She responds with a nervous laugh and a raise of her eyebrow.

The redhead rolls her eyes. “Stop messing around. This is serious.”

“Sorry.”

Chloe just gives her hands a gentle squeeze. “I just- I guess I just wanted to say that I’m so glad to have you back in my life. And also.. I wanted to say that I’m ready.”

“You’re ready?”

“I’m ready for this, for  _us_.”

Beca has to take a deep breath, suddenly nervous. Chloe notices the change in her friend’s behavior, and takes a step back.

“Beca.” She warns, not wanting to go through this, not again.

“No. That’s not it.” The brunette quickly reaches for her hands, pulling Chloe to her again. “Trust me. I’m not afraid, Chlo. I haven’t been ever since you came back. I know what I want. I’m not running.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Beca answers, pulling Chloe even closer to her. “Just, you have to trust me when I say not today, okay? Promise me. I want to be with you, soon, and I’m not scared anymore and I  _do_  love you. I love you so much. Just- I want this to be perfect. I want to be sober and I don’t want our friends to be there watching us and coming in. This is  _our_ moment. I don’t want to share it.”

Chloe nods, smiling even though she’s somewhat disappointed. “It’s okay, and I promise.”

Beca returns the small, then turns towards the party inside, hearing the countdown start.

“Three.. Two… One! Happy New Year!” Everyone yells, but Beca and Chloe only have eyes for each other.

“Happy New Year, Bec.”

“Happy New Year, Chlo.”

It’s so hard not to kiss Beca right now, but Chloe manages to hold back. If Beca wants to wait, they’ll wait. She’s not worried, she knows the other woman wants this as much as she does.

Beca, however, surprises her by leaning in and pressing a kiss to the corner of Chloe’s mouth. 

“Just a promise.” Beca explains when she pulls back.

Chloe remains frozen in her spot, trying to imagine how she’s going to deal when Beca actually kisses her. She’s not sure she’ll survive.

* * *

**February 14** ** th ** **, 2018.  
Los Angeles, Beca Mitchell’s and Chloe Beale’s home.   
08:13 PM**

“I’m home!” Chloe yells, sounding slightly agitated as she slams the door shut and drops her keys into the small bowl they keep on the dresser by the front door.

Usually, Beca would have greeted her by now, or if not, she would have texted Chloe that she was either working in her home office or still at work.

Today, however, neither is happening.

That is, until Beca appears out of nowhere, and as soon as her eyes land on her, her breath catches in her throat.

Beca is wearing a suit. A dark blue suit that fits her perfectly, and she’s holding out a single red rose to her.

“Hey.” The brunette clears her throat when she hears how weak she sounds. “How was your day?”

“Beca.” Chloe says as she gapes at her. “What are you doing?”

The brunette shakes her head, then moves to stand behind Chloe to help her out of her coat. “How was your day, Chlo?”

“Uh, long, stressful.” She turns around to look at Beca, who has a shy smile on her face and looks so,  _so_ beautiful. “Better now.”

“Good.” Beca responds. “I mean, I’m not happy that it was long and stressful, but uh, yeah I’m happy that it’s better now.”

“Definitely.” Chloe winks at her, making Beca blush even more.

“Anyway, follow me, please.”

The older girl raises an eyebrow in question, but still follows Beca further into the house until she stops in the entrance of their kitchen.

Immediately, Chloe’s heart starts pounding harder. “Oh my god, Becs.”

Beca has completely decorated the kitchen with roses and candles, and in the middle is their dining table, with rose petals and a deliciously smelling meal and drinks and just… it’s absolutely perfect.

“You made all of this?”

“I mean,” Beca shrugs, “It really wasn’t that much work. Plus, you’re worth it.” She then adds, so soft Chloe almost doesn’t catch it.

“You really are a big softy.”

“Please shut up and sit down.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Chloe says, a big smile on her face now.

They sit down to eat (but not before Beca pulls out her chair and helps her, of course) and after a pleasant conversation and two delicious courses, Chloe finally dares to ask the question she’s been wanting to ask ever since she walked in on all this.

“Beca, why are you doing this?”

The brunette looks up at her as she puts her fork down on her plate. She takes a deep breath and then reaches out to hold Chloe’s hand.

“About six years ago you walked into my life, or well.. into my shower.”

They both laugh at that.

“You’re never going to shut up about that, aren’t you?”

“Definitely not. Anyway, you walked into my life and I had no idea that you would become such a big part of it, so fast. I’d never had a friend, not really, and I’d never been in love for sure. But then you smiled at me and I had no idea what to do with it. I liked you for such a long time, and I’ve loved you for almost as long now. I know I’ve made mistakes, trust me.”

“Beca, you’ve already apologized, it’s okay.”

Beca shrugs. “I know, I  _know_  that you’ve forgiven me, but I still really hate myself for it. I hate how I handled things during the USO tour. I was just- I was in such a weird place and the only steady thing I had was you. You were there and that was all I knew. I was just afraid that if I told you and we would be together, I would find a reason to mess it all up. Because that’s what I do. Or maybe you didn’t actually feel the same way, not anymore, and that would be even worse. I just thought, why take the risk? I took you for granted, and I’m sorry for that. I shouldn’t have expected you to be there, waiting for me for forever.”

Chloe notices how hard this is for Beca, and gives her hand an encouraging squeeze.

“Anyway, then you were with Chicago, and those were some of the hardest months of my life. All I could think about was you, how I could have been with you, and I kept imagining what my life would have been like if I had just been brave enough. Would I have woken up with you by my side? Would I have come home from a long day with you waiting on the couch for me, a soft and easy smile on your face as you pulled me in and kissed me. It was all I could think about. And then you came back. It was so good and so horrible at the same time. It was amazing to see you, of course. But I felt horrible too. It was heartbreaking to see you like that,”

Chloe adverts her eyes then, finding it hard to think about that moment.

“I know, I’m sorry, I just- It was hard, is all I wanted to say. But you made the right call that night. Because once we became best friends again I felt everything I felt when we met. It was easy and fun and it felt new in a familiar way, which is the best, I think. It’s like I got the experience to listen to my favorite song for the first time again. And you, Chloe, are my favorite song.”

The redhead knows that tears are falling down her cheeks, but she doesn’t even care anymore.

“So, a year ago you walked back into my life, and I’m not planning to ever let you go again. I want to be with you, for real, and I want to marry you, someday. I want to have aca-children and aca-cats and-”

“Aca-dogs.”

“We’ll talk about that.”

Chloe chuckles.

“I want everything, Chloe. I’m all in, is what I’m saying. I love you.”

Chloe just stares at her for a little bit, taking in what Beca just said. “Are you done?” She asks her then, because she really can’t hold back anymore.

“Uh. Yeah, I think so.” Beca says, and then Chloe is standing up and pulling her up to her feet.

“Good. Because I’m done waiting.”

Chloe’s lips are on hers a second later, and she realizes she was right those two months ago on the Balcony of Amy’s apartment, it really is too much to handle.

Beca pushes back hard against her lips, and Chloe can’t help but notice how soft they are. She always thought they would be, in fact, it was one of the things she fantasized about the most when she thought about Beca. The real thing was  _so_ much better.

The brunette traces Chloe’s bottom lip with her tongue, and she immediately parts her lips to grant Beca access to her mouth. They’re both moaning now, and Chloe can’t keep her hands to herself anymore. She puts one of her hands on Beca’s cheek, and the other one finds its way to her ass. She gropes it and gives it a gentle squeeze, causing Beca to gasp into the kiss.

“Sorry.” She mumbles, not sure if the gasp had been a good thing.

She finds out a second later though, when Beca presses even closer and puts her own hands on Chloe’s waist.

“I want you.” Beca says, her hands now moving up on Chloe’s side.

“I want you too.”

“Can I-“ The brunette questions, not wanting to push Chloe to do things she’s not ready for.

“Becs, I will seriously kill you if you don’t.”

Beca chuckles and then reaches out to take hold of Chloe’s hand. She guides her to her own bedroom – although it has become sort of a shared bedroom over the course of the year, with the two of them falling asleep in it together after talking more often than not – and slowly lowers Chloe down to lay on top of it.

“You look so hot, Beca. I can’t believe you wore a suit.”

“I thought you’d like it.”

Chloe raises an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

“I may or may not have heard you talking about me wearing a suit in your sleep.”

The redhead gasps, pretending to be offended.

“Hey! That’s not my fault! Besides, I’ve heard you say things about me in your sleep that are way less innocent than me wearing a suit.”

“Oh really? Like what?” Chloe teases, knowing how to push Beca’s buttons.

“Like how you want to kiss down my neck and bite my skin.”

She clearly hadn’t expected that, which seems to make Beca smirk and place a kiss of her own on Chloe’s neck while the redhead remains speechless.

“I’m just kidding, Chlo. Although, I’m not opposing.”

That seems to spur the other woman on, and suddenly she’s rolling them around until she’s on top of Beca. Instantly, her mouth is attached to Beca’s neck and she knows she’s leaving marks but she doesn’t care. Beca doesn’t seem to care either.

“Fuck.” Chloe’s hand has found Beca’s breast and even through her suit this feels amazing. Not good enough though, she needs to get rid of these layers between them.

She pushes Chloe slightly off of her, and then takes off her own jacket and shirt, leaving her in her bra. Chloe just stares at her for a second, taking it all in, before doing the same to her own clothes.

She, however, also takes off her bra.

“Holy shit, you’re beautiful.” Beca says, causing Chloe to chuckle.

“You know you can do more than just stare, right?”

“I can?” How the brunette still sounds so unsure, Chloe has no idea. She’s made it perfectly clear that she wants her. Still, it’s what makes her so amazing, so she can’t help but give Beca a small kiss on her lips.

“I want you to.”

Beca reconnects their lips, deepening the kiss instantly while her hand starts trailing a pattern from Chloe’s abs up to her breast. Their kiss becomes even more sloppy as soon as her hand has reached its destination and is now pinching a – very hard – nipple.

“That feels good.” Chloe says as she momentarily pulls her mouth away from Beca’s so she can get some air into her lungs.

“I agree.”

Beca rolls them over once again, and this time she starts pressing kisses down the redhead’s body until she reaches her nipple. She takes it into her mouth and starts sucking and biting, making Chloe arch her back.

“Beca. Bec, I need more.” She moans after about two minutes of Beca teasing her nipple.

“Not yet.” She responds, while she moves to the other side to give Chloe’s other breast the same attention.

In the meantime, Chloe has reached behind Beca to undo her bra, letting it fall down her arms until the Brunette pushes herself up momentarily to throw the garment away. Instantly, Chloe’s hands find her bare breasts, and now it’s Beca that’s moaning and leaning into the touch.

“Chloe, please.” Beca says, half attempting to push her hands away, “I can’t focus.”

The older girl just laughs at that. “I don’t care. I want to feel you.”

Beca finally manages to actually pull Chloe’s hands away, who just pouts at her, and then lowers her body all the way down until their breasts are brushing against each other. She grinds her hips into Chloe, who moans even louder than before.

“Beca, please. Hurry up.”

“But I’m having so much fun.”

Chloe smiles. “Becs, if you think that we’re stopping after one round you’re an idiot. I’m going to have my way with you for the rest of the night, but right now? Right now I really need you to make me come. I’ve waited for this for so long.”

“Fuck, Chlo.”

Almost instantly, Beca is unbuttoning the redhead’s pants and pulling them down. She can’t help but notice the wetness that has spread across Chloe’s inner thighs, it’s the hottest thing she’s ever seen by far.

She reaches out to touch her, close to her panties but not close enough, and Chloe shivers.

“You’re so wet.”

“That’s what you do to me, Beca. You can’t believe how many nights I’ve woken up from a dream about you this wet.”

“Fuck.”

“And knowing that you were in the room right next to mine, it just made it so much worse. I never wanted to take care of it myself though, even though I really wanted to. It’s all for you, I want  _you_ to make me come.”

Beca is so turned on, she can barely even focus on anything the other girl is saying anymore. She’s pretty sure she’s soaked through her pants by now, but she doesn’t even care.

She’s kissing Chloe again, and this time, her hand finds its way to her thigh again, teasing her for a second until she can no longer resist. She presses her fingers down on Chloe’s clit, and she can now officially feel how wet Chloe is. Her underwear is completely ruined. Beca just rubs like that for a second, pushing the wet fabrics against her. But it’s not enough.

“This needs to be off.” She says, starting to push it down Chloe’s legs as best as she can.

Chloe laughs, and helps her. “Finally, something we agree on.”

Then, the underwear is off and Beca’s hand is sliding through wet heat for the first time. Chloe’s moaning loudly into her ear, while Beca presses open-mouthed kisses against her neck.

“You feel so good, Chlo.”

“I’m so close already.”

Beca speeds up, starting to rub harder and faster circles on Chloe’s clit. She knows the other woman needs this, can feel how desperate she is to come.

“Bec, inside. Please.” She pleads, and Beca quickly slips two fingers inside of her while she uses her thumb to continue rubbing her clit.

Chloe’s tight, and warm, and she feels amazing.

“Chloe. Oh my god.”

“Please, Beca. Make me come.”

Beca places another sloppy and messy kiss on her mouth before leaning down to whisper into Chloe’s ear.

“You’re so fucking hot, Chloe. I can’t believe how wet you are for me. I love you so much, now please, come for me.”

It works.

“Oh my god. Beca.” Chloe moans, starting to rock harder against Beca’s hand. “I’m gonna- I’m gonna cum.”

She arches her back as she clenches hard around Beca’s fingers, moaning the brunette’s name as she comes. Beca keeps pumping her fingers in and out through the orgasm, slowly letting Chloe come down from it.

“That was amazing.”

“I agree.”

Chloe kisses Beca softly on the lips, and then reaches between the brunette’s legs. “Are you wet?” She asks, not quite touching her yet.

“Why don’t you feel for yourself?” Beca suggests, reaching for Chloe’s hand and pushing it hard against her through her pants.

“Beca, oh my god.”

“Seeing you like that turned me on so much, Chloe. I need you to make me come, fast.”

“Turn around.” She orders, and Beca quickly does as she is told. Chloe instantly pulls her pants and underwear down, not teasing and waiting like Beca had done. There’s time for that later, right now, she just needs to taste her.

She pulls Beca roughly to her, and places a few kisses on her inner thighs before quickly making her way to the brunette’s pussy. She laps at the wetness, both of them moaning now.

“That feels so good.” Beca says as her hands find their way into Chloe’s hair, making sure she stays where she is.

Not that Chloe ever wanted to stop. Beca feels amazing, she  _tastes_ amazing.

“I’m close.” Beca warns, when Chloe wants to add a finger.

“I know.”

She pushes in anyway, and is immediately rewarded with Beca clenching hard around her finger. She can see how she’s trying to hold off her orgasm, not wanting to come yet.

Chloe decides to have a little fun with her, and starts licking strong but slow licks on her clit. It’s teasing, but she knows how amazing it feels.

“Chloe.” Beca says, while she still tries to hold off.  

“I want you to come for me, Beca.”

Then, she speeds up, pushing her finger in harder and finding the brunette’s G-spot while her tongue starts circling her clit again.

Instantly, Beca is coming.

“Oh Fuck! Chloe! I’m cumming, I’m cumming so hard for you!”

And she does. She comes hard around Chloe’s fingers, hard enough to stop her breathing for about ten seconds as she just focuses on how good it feels to clench around her and feel her tongue on her.

Finally, her orgasm slows and she can breathe again. Chloe gives her one final kiss before pulling away and moving back up Beca’s body to give her a peck on her lips.

“That was amazing.”

“It really was.”

“It’s not over though.”

“Good,” Beca says, “I don’t want it to be.”

They lay in silence for a little while, until Chloe leans up to look into Beca’s eyes. “I love you, Beca.”

“I love you too, Chlo. Happy Valentine’s day.”

Chloe smiles. “Happy Valentine’s day.”  

 

 


	13. College AU - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _College AU; Aubrey and Chloe are best friends. Aubrey has a huge crush on popular guy Jesse mitchell (them as siblings is weird, i know but stay with me?). At a party, Chloe swoops in like the best friend she is as the wingman. A year later, Beca mitchell, the little sister of Aubrey’s now boyfriend starts college and it's Aubreys turn to play the role of wingman._
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Rating: T

**_Hood Night, Barden University  
_ ** **_2009_ **

“Wait, so, who’s that?”

“That’s Jesse Mitchell.”

Chloe frowns. “Should I know him?”

Aubrey turns to glare at her. “He’s a junior and a huge deal here, Chloe. Plus, he’s a Treblemaker.” She says it in a way to let Chloe know that really, yes, she  _should_ know.

“Oh, really? I thought we weren’t allowed to get involved with Treblemakers. That’s what Alice said at our inauguration.”   
  
“I don’t think they were serious about that, do you?”

Chloe shrugs. “I don’t know, we’re freshmen, they hate us either way.”

Aubrey seems to think about it for a second, and then she lifts her shoulders to let Chloe know she really doesn’t care that much. “I don’t know what harm it can do. Anyway, go talk to him.”

This time it’s Chloe’s turn to glare. “Wait, what? Why? I’m not into him.”

The blonde rolls her eyes. “I know that. But I need you to find out if he likes me.”  

“What are we? 12?”

Aubrey glares at her. “Chloe. Please.”

She lets out a deep breath, before handing over her cup to Aubrey. “Fine, but you owe me.”

The blonde is practically jumping up and down from excitement. “Yes, yes, of course. Next time, I’ll be your wingwoman, I promise!”

“Not necessarily what I meant, but alright.”

She walks over to where alleged Treblemaker and popular guy Jesse Mitchell is standing and taps him on the shoulder.

“Hey!” He says as he turns around to face her, a charming smile on his face. Chloe has to admit, he  _is_ handsome. “Chloe, right?”

“Uh, yes.” She answers, surprised that he knows who she is. “And you are Jesse?”

“That’s me! Congrats on making the Bellas! I’m sure they’re happy to have you.”

She smiles. There’s something about him that makes him easy to talk to. He’s not her type, definitely not, but she can see what Aubrey likes in him. “Thanks! I uh- I was just wondering if you know my friend?” She gestures over to where Aubrey is standing behind her, trying to look busy while she stares at her cup and pretends to pick something off it.

“Posen? Yeah, I  _definitely_  know her.”

Chloe frowns, not having expected this. As far as she knew, Aubrey had only briefly smiled and waved hello at Jesse once, which was definitely not enough for it to count as ‘ _definitely_ knowing each other’.

“Oh.” She’s unable to hide her surprise, which Jesse seems to notice.

“She went to high school with my sister,” he explains, “they weren’t friends, quite the opposite in fact, but that’s how I know who she is.”

Ouch. Not a great start for Aubrey. Chloe knows how Aubrey can get, even though she hasn’t known her for that long herself.  

Again, Jesse seems to know what she’s thinking, because a second later he’s laughing and putting a hand on Chloe’s arm.

“Don’t worry, my sister hates almost everyone. I’m sure Aubrey’s great.”

She lets out a breath of relief. “Oh, good. I uh- I haven’t seen her around, by the way, your sister. Is she- does she go to Barden too?”

He shakes his head. “Not yet, she’s a couple years younger than me. She’s going next year.”

Just then, Aubrey (who has apparently lost all patience) makes her way over towards the two of them and smiles sweetly at Jesse. “Hey guys, what’s up?”

* * *

**_A year later_ **

“I’m telling you, it’s not that bad! In fact, I think you might like it!”

“Jesse, dude, seriously. You need to stop talking about this. It’s getting weird.”

He rolls his eyes at his sister. “But it could be fun! The Bellas are a great group!”

“Your idea of fun is different than mine, in case you hadn’t noticed.” The brunette answers as she carries another box inside of her dorm room.

Jesse just crosses his arms in front of his chest and blocks the doorway, finally getting Beca to actually look at him. “Move, please.”

“Just- come to the activities fare with me, okay? If you’re not interested in what they have to say I’ll shut up about it forever.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Does this mean I have to see Posen?”

“Well, she  _is_ the co-captain.”

Beca rolls her eyes. During the 9 months of her brother’s relationship, she has so far managed to avoid seeing Aubrey all together, and she had every intention of keeping it that way. She knew, however, that it was going to be extremely hard when she started college, but she had hoped it would at least last a little longer than day one. Yet, here she was.

“Let’s just get this over with.”

* * *

“I don’t like this.” Beca says as they make their way over towards the booth. She can see Aubrey, and there’s another girl as well, who she doesn’t know.

“I know, you’ve told me.”

“Hey babe!” Aubrey says as soon as she sees her boyfriend walking towards her. Then, her eyes land on Beca and the smile fades from her face.

“Beca.”

“Posen.”

The blonde glares at her. “What are you doing here?”

“I go here now.”

“Yes,” she sounds annoyed, “I know that, but what are you doing  _here_?” Aubrey gestures towards the booth behind her.

Beca smirks at her. “Oh, you know me, I’m totally into this stuff. I’m going to audition for the-“ She glances at the sheet Aubrey is holding, “Bellas, for sure.”

The panicked look on the blonde’s face makes this so worth it. Jesse, however, is shaking her head.

“Ignore her. I thought it would be fun, but she’s never going to actually audition. Beca here, likes to sit in her room and make her own music.”

“You make your own music?” The other girl asks, and Beca’s eyes now shift over towards her.

“Sort of. I mix stuff.”

She looks almost disgusted.

“Right,” Jesse jumps in. “Beca, Alice. Alice, this is my little sister Beca.”

Beca is polite enough to give her a little nod.

“What even are you doing here? I thought graduates weren’t allowed on campus this day?”

Alice shrugs. “I had to make sure these idiots wouldn’t allow some basic bitches into our group. We have standards to uphold.” She stares directly at Beca when she says the last sentence, and it makes her raise an eyebrow. She’s not offended, mostly amused. This is exactly how she thought it was going to be.

“Clearly.” Is all she gives as a response.

“Where’s-“ Jesse starts, but he’s interrupted by Aubrey.

“Late, as always.”

Just then, someone else comes running towards them, and for a second all Beca can see is a flash of red hair before the girl finally stops next to Jesse. Beca realizes she’s staring, but she can’t help herself. This girl is absolutely beautiful.

“Hey,” She says, pulling on his shirt while the mystery girl talks to Aubrey. “Who’s  _that_?”

“That’s Chloe, Aubrey’s best friend.”

Her heart sinks. She thought that maybe-

“She’s also co-captain of the Bellas.”

Oh. Good. Yeah.

Or maybe, not so good, because now Chloe is looking at her and smiling and she can feel her walls crumbling down.

“Hey! Uh, are you going to audition?”

Beca realizes Chloe is addressing her, and she starts shaking her head. “Oh no, I don’t even sing. Plus, it’s pretty lame-”

“Aca-scuse me?” Aubrey interrupts, but Beca just ignores her and keeps her eyes on Chloe.

“I’m Beca, Jesse’s sister.”

Chloe’s mouth drops open, and suddenly she’s moving past Jesse to stand in front of her. “You’re Beca?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“It’s so nice to finally meet you!”

“Same, I guess.” Beca doesn’t know what to do about this. Chloe is definitely different from anyone she’s ever met before.

“It’s too bad you’re not going to audition; we could use someone like you.”

Her eyes move over towards where Aubrey is standing, shooting her a look that says ‘don’t you dare’. “Well, who knows, right? Maybe!” She’s only teasing, of course, but Chloe doesn’t seem to catch it. She smiles brightly and gives Beca a brief hug. She can tell Jesse is looking at her like she’s a bomb about to explode. Everybody who knows her the tiniest bit knows that she doesn’t do physical contact. Just to get a rise out of him she puts her own arms around Chloe’s waist and briefly returns the hug before pulling back.

“Awes. I can’t wait!” Chloe says, having clearly missed the sarcasm in Beca’s voice.

* * *

**_Two days later_ **

_“You shout it out_  
But I can’t hear a word you say  
I’m talking loud not saying much  
I’m criticized but all your bullets ricochet  
You shoot me down, but I get up”

Beca can’t believe it’s only been about a week since she started school here at Barden University. She feels like she’s already seen enough crap that could last her the next four years at this hellhole.

It’s too crowded, people are weird, and her classes are boring.

She just wants to be by herself, preferably with her music, but that’s not possible right now because her stupid roommate has friends over (at freaking 1AM) so she opts to take a shower, certain that there won’t be anyone else right now.

She steps into the small stall and hangs up her bathrobe and basket of toiletries before turning on the stream. She waits for it to warm up while she continues singing the song that’s been stuck in her head all day.

 _“I’m bulletproof nothing to lose_  
Fire away, fire away  
Ricochet, you take your aim…”

“You  _can_  sing!”

Beca turns around as quickly as she can, coming into contact with Chloe, Aubrey’s friend. “Dude!” She yelps, reaching for the shower curtain to cover herself up.

Chloe, however, pulls it right back. “How high does your belt go?”

“My what?”

The redhead ignores her and instead reaches forward to turn off the water. Beca follows her movement, hiding away further into the corner until she’s all the way pressed up against the cold tiles.

“Oh my god.”

“Now you  _definitely_ have to audition for the Bellas.”

Beca’s eyes shift down just for a split second, taking in all of Chloe, before moving back up to meet her eyes. “I can’t concentrate on anything you’re saying right now.”

That makes Chloe raise an eyebrow and Beca immediately knows she said the wrong thing.

“Oh really?” Chloe just steps closer, until they’re almost touching, and Beca can feel her heart starting to pound in her chest. She’s attracted to her, sure, but Chloe seems like the kind of person that doesn’t do boundaries so she’s probably just always like this, as well as Aubrey Posen’s best friend (which is even worse).

She doesn’t wait for Beca to answer, and instead smiles at her. “Just, consider it.”

Beca turns around to face the wall, in a desperate attempt to get some kind of distance between them. “Seriously, I am nude.”

Chloe ignores her yet again. “You were singing Titanium, right?”

The younger girl looks over her shoulder and shoots Chloe a surprised but small smile. “You know David Guetta?”

Chloe looks almost offended. “Have I been living under a rock? Yeah. That song is my jam. My lady jam.”

Oh god. What is happening? Is she actually flirting with her right now?

“That’s nice.” She manages to answer, even though her mind is somewhere else.

“It is. Can you sing it for me?”

“Dude no! Get out!” She does want Chloe to go, but only because she’s afraid she won’t be able to stop  _not_ staring at her for much longer and when she does she’s pretty sure it will be awkward and weird and Chloe will think she’s a creep and then she’ll tell Aubrey, who will tell Jesse and who knows what will happen then? Nothing good, that’s for sure. The last thing she needs is a crush on Chloe.

The older girl, however, isn’t letting her go that easily. “I’m not leaving here until you sing, so..”

The way she says it makes Beca instantly believe it’s true. She glares over her shoulder again, giving Chloe a tight smile and a nod before turning around to face her. Her eyes move frantically around the stall, trying to stare at anything and everything that is not Chloe. It’s harder than she thought it would be.

 _“I’m bulletproof nothing to lose”_  She starts, slightly unsure and nervous (especially because of how Chloe is looking at her).

 _“Fire away, fire away.”_  Chloe joins in then, and she can’t believe how well their voices work together. She’s never sung with anyone else before, but she’s made enough mixes to know that this is some kind of musical magic. Chloe keeps staring at her too, and her own eyes are now focused on the other girl’s face, moving to her lips and back up to her eyes a couple of times.  
 __  
“Ricochet, you take your aim  
Fire away, fire away  
You shoot me down but I won’t fall, I am titanium  
You shoot me down but I won’t fall  
I am titanium…”

She’s smiling, actually smiling. That was amazing. She’s so lost in the trance that she forgets about the fact that they’re naked for a second and her eyes accidentally move down and oh god, she really shouldn’t have done that. Because she now has an even better view and if she thought Chloe was beautiful before, she’s absolutely breathtaking now.

Chloe seems to notice her eyes dropping down, and follows Beca’s gaze before shrugging her shoulders. “Oh, yeah. I’m pretty confident about all this.”

Beca stares at her one last time before making eye contact with her again. “You should be.” She’s not sure where that came from, it had sort of slipped past her lips without her wanting to. It’s true though, Chloe should be confident about all that.

The redhead turns around then and hands her the towel.

“Uh. I still need to shower.” She answers, but Chloe just ignores her.

She winks at Beca before turning around slowly. “I’ll see you at auditions, Beca.” The way she drawls out her name makes her hot all over again and she immediately turns the shower on, making sure the water is cold.

* * *

 ** _Three weeks later, the day before auditions._**  
  
“Hey! Becaw!”

“Dude, you said that you would stop saying that once we were both in college.”

“I never made such a promise.”

“I have it written down, with your signature and everything.” 

Jesse rolls his eyes at her and pulls her closer to him, rubbing her shoulder. It’s as close to a hug as he’s going to get, which he knows.

“So, are you excited for tonight?”

“I mean,” She pretends to think about it for a second, “Nope. Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“Because this is ridiculous and I hate that you’re making me do this. You know how much I despise going to the movies.”   
  
Jesse shrugs. “You do this and I tell dad how amazing you’re doing.”

“Yeah, but why?”

“Because it’s important to me that you guys sort of get along, especially with you auditioning for the Bellas and everything. Which, by the way, I want to get back to.”

She’s only told Jesse about her audition yesterday, because she still thought for a long time that she wasn’t going to do it. Chloe, however, had somehow gotten into her head. Beautiful, bubbly, annoying (but not really) Chloe, who she hadn’t seen since that day in the shower.

“I just figured it was good for me to do something, or whatever.”

“And I agree, I’m just worried you’re doing this just to annoy my girlfriend.”

Beca rolls her eyes. “I’m not, although I will admit it’s a nice bonus.”

Just then, Aubrey steps into view, and to her surprise, she’s not alone.

“Oh and by the way, I invited Chloe.”

“What? Why?”

He shrugs and pretends like it isn’t a big deal, although she has a feeling that there’s something more going on. “I figured you wouldn’t want to be a third wheel.”

She stares him down. “How considerate.”

“Beca.”

“Hello again.”

“I heard you’re going to audition tomorrow.” Aubrey says, and Beca can tell she’s less than excited about it.

“Yeah.”

“May I ask what changed your mind?” Her eyes shift to Chloe, and by the way the redhead is looking at her she can tell that she hasn’t told her friend about their little shower moment. For some reason, it makes her stomach flutter, like maybe it wasn’t just another meaningless thing for Chloe. Maybe it had meant something to her too.

“Oh. Just uh- Jesse convinced me.”

She turns to smile at her brother, and luckily they know each other well enough by now that certain things like these only require one look. “Yeah, I just thought it would be good for her. She’s actually a great singer.”

“She really is.” Chloe adds.

“How do you know?” Aubrey’s now staring at her best friend, clearly confused about what’s going on here.

“Oh. Just uh- I heard her singing. On campus. Yeah, just.. you know, after class.”

“You’re all being weird. Let’s just go in.”

Of course,  _of course,_ Beca ends up sitting between Chloe and Jesse. Her plan had been to end up on the side, next to Jesse, with Chloe on the other side, next to Aubrey. Jesse, however, had sped up just before they got to their aisle and pulled Aubrey in front of him, making sure that they were ahead of Beca.

Great.

“Hey, do you want to share my popcorn?” Chloe asks sweetly, and Beca’s frown slips from her face. She can’t possibly be mad at her, especially when she’s staring at her with her baby blue eyes that shine even in the darkness of the movie theater.

“Uh. Yeah, sure. Thanks, Chloe.”

“Of course.” She beams, actually beams, as if it’s the best thing she’s heard all day.

Turns out, watching movies is still horrible, but it’s a little less horrible with Chloe next to her. Their hands have brushed twice already, leaving her blushing and mumbling an apology, to which Chloe only shrugged and smiled.

She wasn’t really watching, not because she necessarily didn’t want to, but it was just a little distracting to have Chloe next to her.

Apparently, though, the movie has gotten scarier because she can feel the redhead flinch next to her, and a second later, Chloe is leaning heavily against her shoulder. She freezes for a second, unsure what to do.

Jesse, who has seemed to notice what’s going on, leans in close to her. “Scary, huh?”

“Not really.”

“Chloe disagrees, so to see. You better protect her, Bec.”

She glares at him. “Shut up, Jesse.”

“That’s what friends do!”

“Seriously, stop talking.”

Jesse just laughs softly, before leaning back into his own seat and pulling Aubrey into his arms. Beca watches him do it, watches how Aubrey immediately buries her head into his neck and she realizes she wants the same. It’s a weird feeling, wanting this. She’s not a fan of physical contact, not even platonic. But this? This is even stranger to her.

“Becs.”

Chloe’s pulling on her shirt, trying to get Beca back to her side of the seat. Then, once Beca is close again, Chloe reaches for her arm and pushes it up in the air until she can slide under it and hug the other woman.

She’s not sure what’s freaking her out the most. The fact that Chloe called her ‘Becs’ or the fact that she pushed her arm up like that, or maybe how her arm is circling her waist right now and how her head is resting on her shoulder. Whatever it is, it’s enough to leave her heart pounding in her throat while her mouth feels dry.

She has no idea what the rest of the movie is about. All she can focus on is how good Chloe feels in her arms, and on how she kinda – for the first time in her life – doesn’t want the movie to end.

But it does, too soon for her liking.

Chloe and Aubrey walk out together, chatting about what they liked and disliked and whatever, leaving Jesse and Beca behind while they clean up their stuff.

“So, Chloe’s nice, huh?” Jesse asks her, and suddenly, she’s had enough of this.

“I know what you’re trying to do.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Oh, and what’s that?”

“You’re trying to set me up with Chloe. And uh- I’m not even into her so… you know.. you better stop it. Also, she’s probably not even gay or bi, or whatever so-“

“Bec.”

“Yeah?”

Jesse is staring at her an expression which she can’t quite read. “I just thought it would be nice if you had a friend. Plus, Chloe’s nice and I thought it would be cool if all four of us can hang out from time to time.”

He looks sincere, fuck. Of course, he looks sincere. It’s such a Jesse thing to do, she should have known.

“Oh.. shit. Can you forget I said all that?”

He pretends to think about it for a second. “Maybe. If you do my laundry this weekend.”

“I hate you.”

Jesse chuckles. “No, you don’t. And apparently, you  _really_ don’t hate Chloe.”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“Hey!” Chloe interrupts, walking back over towards them. “You guys ready?”

“Yes, definitely!” Beca answers, running away from Jesse as fast as she can, looking over her shoulder to shoot him one last glare while they make their way out of the theater.

“So,” Aubrey says once they’re all outside. She’s leaning against Jesse and suddenly Beca feels weird, just standing there next to Chloe. She crosses her arms in front of her chest, just to have something to do with them. “That was surprisingly nice.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Aubrey.” Chloe warns, placing a hand on Beca’s arm. “That  _was_ nice!” She then says, smiling softly at her before turning to Jesse and Aubrey to give them a quick hug goodbye.

Then, finally, she turns back to Beca. She seems unsure for a second, and Beca’s sure she’s been informed about the ‘no hugging’ policy by now and this time she doesn’t really have a valid reason to do so (because yes, a scary movie  _is_ a valid reason). Still, she surprises Beca by going for it anyways. She wraps her arms around her and pulls her close for a second.

“We should do this again.” The redhead says softly once she steps away.

“Totally!” Jesse agrees, but Beca can tell based on the look on Chloe’s face, that her comment wasn’t meant for anyone but Beca. And she’s not sure how she feels about that…

* * *

**_A week later. Hood night, Barden University  
2011_ **

“I can’t believe you’re a Bella.”

“Yeah, well.. neither can I.” She looks around at the crowd of drunk people, singing a bunch of songs that she’d never listen to. “I’m starting to think that maybe this was a mistake.”

“Remind me again why you’re doing this?”

“I told you, Dad said I needed to do something! Else he won’t let me go to LA next year.”

Jesse squints his eyes, not believing her. “Right, of course.”

“He did!”

“I believe that part, I’m just a little unsure why you chose this. Anyway, I’m going to get you a drink. I’ll be right back, okay? Bye Aca-sister.”

“You’re drunk.”

“And you will be too. I’ll be right back.”

She rolls her eyes as she watches him go, regretting her decision more and more each passing minute.

As soon as he’s gone, Chloe comes running towards her. Based on the look in her eyes, she’s already had a couple of drinks.

“Hi!” Chloe says, immediately reaching for Beca’s hands and yanking her closer to her.

“Oh!”

Beca’s face is suddenly inches from Chloe’s and she doesn’t know how to cope. Is she actually going to kiss her right now?

She doesn’t.

“I am so glad that I met you.”

Beca’s just smiling at her, taking it all in. It’s funny, in a way, but she’s also freaking out right now. She’s just hoping Chloe won’t notice.

“I knew,” Chloe starts again, leaning in even closer and letting her forehead lean against Beca’s, “that we were gonna be really fast friends.”

“Yeah..” Beca’s voice sounds a little higher than normal, which she’s aware of, but honestly, how can it now with Chloe being so close to her. “Well, you saw me naked, so..” She jokes with a wink, hoping it will ease the tension between them.

“Alright,” Chloe then says, finally moving away from her. “I’m going to get a drink. I’ll see you later Becs.”

“Make good choices!” She yells after her, even though she knows Chloe can’t hear her anymore.

Jesse returns to her side not a minute later, handing her a cup of.. something.

“you ready to admit it to me now?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Really Becs?” He gestures vaguely towards where Chloe is standing, talking to Aubrey. “Are you sure? Because Aubrey and I aren’t even that close to each other most of the time, and we’re dating!” 

“We talked about this, I’m not into her!”

“Sure, sure, because your little freak-out at the movie theater totally proved that you just want to be her friend.”

Beca avoids eye contact now. “I’ll just see you later, okay?” She walks away then, not wanting to have this conversation right now.

“Bec!”

Chloe wraps her arms around her neck and pulls her close for the second time this night. She’s clearly drunk. Not that Beca cares, which still amazes her.

“Hey guys.” She greets the other Bellas as well, smiling at them. They pull her away from Chloe and into some kind of dance competition and fuck it, why not. The drink helps, for sure.

She has fun, a surprising amount of fun, actually. Partly because Chloe can’t seem to stop being around her and dancing with her and it makes her feel all giddy (what has she become) but also because for the first time in her life she has people. Potential friends. She has a group of girls she can now depend on. It’s new, but not horrible at all.

She’s had a couple of drinks as well.

“So what?” She says once she’s pulled herself away from the Bellas and has found Jesse, standing on the other side with some of the Treblemakers.

“What are you talking about?” He asks, confused where this is suddenly coming from.

Beca pulls him aside until they’re far enough away that nobody else can hear them. “So what if I do like her?”

He smiles softly. “Beca, that’s great.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Why?”

“Because my chances here are probably less than zero and I really  _really_ don’t want to lose this.”

“Aw Becs, you love your new friends? Never thought I’d see you so sentimental.”

She stares at him, and he knows that this isn’t the moment to tease or joke. “Beca, it’s going to be okay. Just talk to her.”

She shakes her head. “That’s like the last thing I’m going to do. I just need to find out how I can get over her.”

He’s not sure what to respond, she can tell. “Why do you want to get over her?”

“Didn’t I tell you about the whole ‘clearly not gay, or bi, or whatever’ thing? It’s not really fun when the girl’s not into you, in case you didn’t know.”

He rolls his eyes, and for a moment then it’s clear how much they really are alike. They just use different masks. “I know, I know that Beca. Just.. I don’t think you should give up that easily.”

She shrugs. “I think it’s probably best if I do. I think I just need some distance from her for now.”

Jesse doesn’t seem happy about that, for some reason. She figures it’s just because he enjoyed having their little group of four. “Alright, if that’s what you think you need to do.”

“Yeah, I think so.”

* * *

**_That same night  
Jesse’s dorm room.  
_ **

“So.. I just had an interesting conversation with Beca.”

“Really? Because I had one with Chloe too,  _again._ ”

Jesse laughs softly. “Was she talking about Beca again?”

Aubrey nods. “She won’t shut up about her, it’s really starting to annoy me.”

“Starting?”

“Shut up. Anyway, she goes on and on about how beautiful and talented Beca is and how she wants to kiss her and-“

“Alright, alright.” Jesse interrupts, “That’s still my sister we’re talking about.”

Aubrey smiles. “My point is, it’s getting annoying.  _More_ annoying. I suggested to Chloe that she should just ask Beca out already.”

“What did she say?”

“She said she was going to think about it.”

She can tell something is wrong. Before, Jesse had somewhat excited about the developments between his sister and her best friend. Yet now, he seemed unsure about it.

“What’s wrong?” She asks.

He sighs deeply. “Just.. my sister is an idiot, is all.”

“I already knew that.”

Jesse glares at Aubrey, warning her. “I’m afraid she’s going to mess it up.”

* * *

**_Two weeks later  
Beca’s dorm room_ **

She was sitting behind her desk, working on her music, when her phone chimed.

She picks it up and frowns, wondering who could be texting her at this hour. It was almost 2am, and she didn’t really know anybody who stayed up that late. Aubrey would kill them if any of the Bellas did that, knowing they’d be tired for rehearsals the next morning.

It’s from Chloe. Which isn’t too odd, despite the timing, which is still weird. They’ve been texting a little bit, although Beca tries to keep it short and casual.

She reads the text.

 _Hey. You’re probably already asleep by now, but I just wanted to let you know you did a great job today. We’re really getting there!_  
  
Even though she knows she probably shouldn’t, she still finds herself typing a response.

**Nope. Still awake. What are you doing up? I thought you shared a room with Aubrey. She’ll kill you if she finds out you’re up.**

_She’s with Jesse._

**Gross. And also, thanks. For the compliment, I mean.**

God, that was awkward. She kinda hates herself for sending that. Still though, it’s after 2am, you can’t really blame her for messing up.

_You’re welcome. I was also wondering if you maybe wanted to get some dinner together soon?_

Wait, what?

What was happening right now?

She started to type out her response, but before she got the chance to hit ‘Yes, I’d love that!’, another message came in.

_Aubrey and Jesse would be there as well, of course._

Yeah, of course.

She should have known. She erased the previous message and typed out a new one.

**Sure.**

* * *

**_Another week later,  
_ ** **_A Coffee shop near Campus._ **

“I’m telling you, she’s ignoring me.”

Aubrey shakes her head. “I don’t think that’s true. I mean, she pretty much ignores everyone.”

Chloe smiles softly. “Yeah, but she was different with me, I swear.”

“Well, did you ask her out to dinner yet like I suggested?”

“Uh. Kinda.”

“What does that mean?”

The redhead shrugs, and then ducks her head down. “I was going to, I asked her if she wanted to have dinner, but then I chickened out and said that you guys would be there too.”

“And she said no?”

She shakes her head. “No, she said ‘sure’.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“She’s just- I don’t know, it’s weird. She won’t even look at me.”

Aubrey smiles softly, feeling sorry for her friend. She may not like Beca, but Chloe sure does, and Chloe is more important to her than anyone else.

“I’m sure it will be alright, Chlo.”

* * *

**_Three days later  
_ **

“I just don’t understand why I can’t wear this.”

“Becs. I told you, it’s a nice place, they won’t let you in if you wear sweatpants.”

She pulls her shirt over her head and throws it on the bed. “I don’t even know why we’re going there. Can’t we just do something casual? Or you know, I could not come at all, that would be fun too.”

Jesse rolls his eyes. “We’re going because it’s Aubrey and mine’s anniversary.”

“Yeah, exactly, dude. I don’t wanna go to your fucking anniversary dinner. That’s weird!”

He chuckles. “It’s not weird. Plus, Aubrey invited Chloe who invited you and you said yes so you don’t really have a choice.”

“I seriously don’t understand any of you.”

He throws her a new shirt and pants, knowing it would look nice on her before walking over towards the door. “Be ready in an hour, we’re picking you up.”

“What if I just bail?”

He shrugs. “Aubrey will probably kill you, and Chloe will be looking like someone kicked her puppy all night, which will make me upset and then I’ll kill you too.”

“Great. See you in an hour, I guess.”

An hour later, there’s a honk outside of her building, and she knows it’s for her. She makes her way downstairs, not before looking into the mirror one last time, and she has to admit she looks great. Her brother has good taste in clothes. Not so much in women though.

Her jeans are black and skinny and fit her perfectly. She’s wearing a red blouse that shows just enough cleavage, and then on top of it she’s wearing a leather jacket. Just because she still wants to be seen as a badass, of course. Her hair is curled and flowing loosely over her shoulders. She can’t believe she dressed up like this for her  _brother’s_ anniversary dinner.

As she makes her way over towards the car, she notices that it isn’t Jesse who came to pick her up, but Chloe.

She’s standing next to the car, looking at her phone, and Beca can’t help but stare at her for a few seconds. She’s lucky that Chloe hasn’t caught sight of her yet, because she’s pretty sure she’s gaping at her and drooling onto the sidewalk and it just can’t be a pretty sight. Chloe’s wearing a dark blue dress that hugs her in all the right places. Her hair is curly and pinned up, with a few loose strands framing her face beautifully.

Fuck.

She really,  _really_ shouldn’t have come tonight.

This was such a bad idea.

“Chlo.”

It’s the first time she’s used that nickname, it had slipped right past her lips before she could stop it.

“Bec!” The other woman says, turning around to face her. She steps closer and wraps her arms around her and Beca lets herself enjoy the moment for a few seconds. She’s already screwed tonight anyways.

“You look beautiful.” Is what Chloe says when she pulls back from the hug, making her blush.

“Thanks. So do you.”

Chloe’s smile widens. “Let’s go. Jesse and Aubrey are meeting us at the restaurant.”

* * *

“Hello, welcome to The Oak, do you have a reservation?”

Beca smiles at the waitress. “Yeah, uh, Mitchell, I believe?”

The woman looks at her computer for a second before nodding. “Right, yes, follow me ladies.”

As they follow the waitress through the (extremely nice and fancy looking) restaurant, she turns around to look at Chloe. “Have you heard from Aubrey yet?”

She nods. “Yeah, they’re almost here.”

“Good. That’s good.” She’s nervous, and her palms are sweating. Being around Chloe like this – in a nice place and with her looking so beautiful – is not helping her get over her feelings, at all.

“Alright, here we go.” The woman says, pointing to a table for two.

“Oh, sorry, Ma’am, we’re actually supposed to be a group of four.”

“Do you think Aubrey made the reservation just for her and Jesse?” Chloe asks, as the woman checks the reservation once again.

“I mean, I wouldn’t blame her. I wouldn’t want my friend and enemy to be at my anniversary dinner. But no, it should be a mistake.”

Chloe laughs at that.

“Well,” The waitress says, “I’m afraid I didn’t make a mistake, but I was in fact told to give these to you guys, so I hope that solves our little problem.” She hands them each a little envelope. “In the meantime, feel free to take a seat if you want, we have champagne coming.”

“Champagne?” Chloe has no idea what’s going on right now. “Oh uh- we’re fine, actually.” She doesn’t even want to guess how expensive that would be.

“Miss, the champagne has already been paid for. In fact, everything for tonight has. So please, take a seat and enjoy yourselves.”

Beca watches the waitress walk away with a stunned expression on her face. “Dude, did we just take someone else’s reservation or something? This can’t be happening.”

Chloe shrugs, but her eyes are smiling. “Well, maybe we should look at this?” She holds the envelop up, and Beca nods. Yeah, that’s probably smart.

_Becaw,  
First of all, don’t kill me.   
Second of all, you deserve this. I know that you think you have no cha_ _nce here, and that this is ridiculous and you should run from it as far as you can.  
_ _But please, for once in your life, take my advice and just sit down.  
_ _Just talk to her, have a little faith.  
_ _Or at least eat, because this meal cost me a fortune (okay dad but don’t tell him)._

_Love,  
_ _Jesse_

_Oh and PS: give the other one to Chloe._

At the same time, Chloe was reading her first note.

**Chlo,**

**I owed you.**

**Ps: give the other one to her..**

“Oh uh.” Beca says somewhat awkwardly as she sees the second note, “This uh- this one is for you, I guess.”

“Yeah, I have another one for you too.”

 _Chloe,  
I would do the whole ‘if you hurt her I _will _kill you’ thing, but we both know that’s not necessary. You’re an amazing friend, not only to Aubrey, but also to me and now to Beca as well. You’re one of the best people I know, and I know you would never hurt Beca. I know she can be stubborn, and difficult, and she hides everything behind her sarcasm, but she really likes you, Chlo. I won’t tell you how much, that’s for her to tell you, but you mean more to her than anyone ever has. She’s just scared._

_I really hope you two decide to enjoy this delicious dinner and finally have a proper conversation. You deserve it._

_Love,  
_ _Jesse_

Chloe felt tears streaming down her face as she read her note, not believing what was happening right now. Beca, however, had a different expression on her face, something that looked more like annoyance, with the slight hint of a smile.

**Mitchell,**

**If you hurt her I _will_  kill you.**

**Posen.  
  
P.S: I guess you’re kind of okay, I mean, you make Chloe happy, so that’s enough for me.**

Beca stares at Chloe then, unsure what to do now. “We uh- I’m sorry about this.” She gestures towards the letters. “Jesse is uh- I don’t know what he was-“

“Bec.” Chloe interrupts, putting a hand on her arm. “Do you want to sit down?”

Beca smiles, finally letting out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Like a date?”

“Yes, like a date.”

Her smile widens. “I’d love that.”

They sit down, and immediately the waitress comes over and puts two plates in front of them, with delicious smelling food.

“Wow. Can’t complain about this.” Beca says, digging in right away.

“Yeah, me neither.” Chloe answers, but she only has eyes for Beca.

They enjoy a casual conversation for a little while, just trying to ease some of the tension, before Chloe finally dares to ask Beca what she’s been wondering all this time.

“Beca, do you like me?”

The brunette almost chokes on her food, not having expected the question all of the sudden.

“Do you want to write that down on a little note and have me check a box or something?”

Chloe knows that she’s only joking again, trying to deal with how uncomfortable she feels. Still, she wants to know, without making her too uncomfortable. She waits a few minutes before excusing herself for a second.

When she returns, she slides a napkin to the other side of the table.

**Becs,  
** **Do you like me?**

**[_] Yes  
[_] No**

Beca just stares at it for a second, and her instinct is to make a joke. But when she looks up, Chloe’s not looking at her, and she can tell that she’s being serious. Or at least, trying to get a serious answer.

With one final breath, she scribbles something down before sliding the note over to Chloe, watching her expression as she reads it.

**Becs,  
** **Do you like me?**

**[_] Yes  
[_] No  
[x] I think I might be in love with you…**

Chloe’s heart is pounding her chest, she’s still not looking up, too nervous to look at her now, too afraid to break their little spell.

She grabs a new napkin and starts writing something down again, feeling Beca’s eyes on her the whole time. Finally, after what feels like forever to the brunette, she slides it back over.

**Do you want to kiss me? (because I really do)**

**[_] Yes  
[_] Not yet (would be okay)**

Beca’s quick to write down her answer this time, finally making eye contact with Chloe as she moves it to the other side of the table, her fingers brushing Chloe’s while she does so.

**Do you want to kiss me? (because I really do)  
  
[_] Yes  
** **[_] Not yet (would be okay)  
** **[x] Preferably right now.**

“Beca.” Chloe says once she’s read it. “Let’s get out of here.”

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all night.”

The redhead reaches for her hand as they leave their table, being sure to thank the waitress on their way out.

She guides Beca over towards her car, but when the brunette steps closer to her, she puts a hand on her chest.

“Do you not-“

“I told you I did. Just not here.”

Beca nods, and gets into the car.

* * *

“Why here?” Is what Beca asks once she gets out of the car and follows Chloe down the stairs.

Chloe stops in the middle and turns around to look at Beca. “This,” She says, “Is where I heard about you for the first time. Right here, at Hood night last year.”

Beca frowns, having not heard this before. “I don’t know why, but I was interested in you already. I didn’t even know you. And then that interest only grew as I became closer friends with Jesse, and I learned more about you. Then, we met and it just felt so right, and perfect, and like it was always meant to be this way.”

She looks around her, taking a shaky breath before stepping closer to Beca, who still hadn’t moved a muscle. “This is also where I first wanted to kiss you.”

“Really?” She asks, a teasing smirk on her face, “I have to admit, that moment was a little odd. Even Jesse mentioned something about it.”

“So did Aubrey. I can’t believe they went behind our backs like that.”

“Honestly, we should probably thank them.”

Chloe smiles at that. “Yeah, I guess we should. Anyway, I wasn’t sure how you felt about me, of course, and then it worried me that you started to push me away.”

“I was just afraid that you didn’t like me back, I still can’t quite believe that’s actually real, by the way.”

The redhead laughed softly. “Well, you better believe it. I get it now, Beca. It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry though.”

“I know something you can do to make it up to me.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Oh really? And what might that be?”

“Kiss me.”

She does, instantly.

Beca has to lean down a little, with her still standing one step above Chloe, but the second she connects their lips she forgets about everything else. All she can hear and think is Chloe.

The redhead’s lips move softly against hers, putting the smallest amount of pressure behind her kisses, and Beca can tell she wants more. They both do. She traces Chloe’s bottom lip with her tongue, and the other girl immediately grants her access into her mouth, deepening the kiss.

Beca moans into the kiss then, unable to stop herself. She’s embarrassed about it for a second, but then Chloe is putting her arms around her neck and pressing her closer against her and when she moans again, she can feel the redhead gasping into the kiss. Her own hands land on Chloe’s hips, keeping her close and maintaining her own balance as she leans into her a little more.

Finally, after what feels like forever, the need for air becomes too big and they have to pull back.

“That was amazing.” Chloe says, a little breathless still.

“You think we can do that again?”

“I’m pretty sure I won’t survive it if you don’t, Chlo.”

“I like that.”

“What?”

“I like it when you call me ‘Chlo’.”

“Everyone calls you that.”

She shrugs and smiles. “Yeah, but I like it better when you say it.”

“You’re weird.”

Chloe laughs again, and Beca has decided it’s her new favorite sound in the entire world. “Maybe, but you still like me.”

“I do, a lot.”

“A lot, a lot?”

“A lot, a lot.”

“Me too.” Chloe responds, giving Beca another soft kiss on her lips. It quickly escalates again, and before she knows it they’re both pulling at each other’s clothes while trying to get as close to the other as possible.

“Bec.” She mumbles against her lips, “Do you wanna continue this somewhere else? Something more private, preferably?”

“Yeah uh- Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” She can’t even focus on anything right now, she’s hot all over and she needs Chloe to continue kissing her.

Chloe takes her hand and together they make their way back over towards the dorm building.

“Oh god.” Beca says, having reached for her phone which she hasn’t checked ever since they sat down for dinner. “I have about 150 texts from Jesse and a few death threats from Aubrey.”

Chloe laughs. “I guess you can’t really be mad at them though.”

Beca returns Chloe’s smile. “No, I think for the first time in my life, I might actually  _really_ like Aubrey.”

Chloe laughs at that, then pulls Beca close to her while she kisses her again and pulls her into her private dorm room.

“Let’s stop talking about Jesse and Aubrey though, we have far more interesting things to do.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

* * *

“Do you know what’s happening?”

“Wait! I just- Yes!”

“What?” Jesse asks, jumping over towards where his girlfriend is sitting. “What does that mean?” He gestures towards the emoji Chloe had sent her best friend.

“It means everything went great.”

A new text came in.

“What does that one mean?”

“They kissed!” Aubrey responds, unable to hide her enthusiasm anymore.

“Go Beca!” Jesse says, then wondering if he should really be rooting for his sister like this.

“Wait, there’s one more.”

It’s quiet for a little bit.

“So, what is it?” Jesse finally pushes, wanting to know if they had decided to become girlfriends or something.

“Uh, I don’t think you really want to know.” Aubrey replies, and he turns to look at her, confused.

“This is so complicated.” he says, then curses, “Fuck.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what Chloe sent me. Are you starting to understand these, babe?”

“Oh my god, let’s stop talking about this!”

Right then, he wants to regret getting involved, but he can’t really, because his sister is happy, and so is his best friend and even though he knows she won’t admit it, he can tell that Aubrey is beyond happy for them as well…


	14. Chloe Beale, Sunshine - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One shot: _Chloe has been called Sunshine her entire life. It makes sense. She's warm, loving, charming and can light up any room she walks in to. She shines as bright as the sun, according to her parents._
> 
> _But with Beca, however, it's different. Chloe doesn't feel like sunshine when she's around her. Sure, she's warm and giddy and smiles at Beca with her brightest smile. But Beca doesn't melt around her like others do. She can't quite figure it out, but something about her is different._
> 
> Rating: T

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of those stories that made perfect sense in my head, but it probably should have stayed there too. Because I couldn't quite figure it out when I was writing it down, but I still really wanted to share it with you guys. 
> 
> So I hope you'll enjoy.

Good morning sunshine.” Is what her parents would say to her every morning. “How was your school, sunshine?” and “Did you make any new friends, sunshine?”

One day she’d asked them why they called her sunshine. Up until then, she’d always thought that it was just a random nickname they had for her. Like honey, or sweetie.

“It’s because your smile can light up every room.” Her mother had said. “And because you make the lives of everyone you meet just a little brighter.” Her dad had added.

Her parents weren’t wrong. Chloe always loved talking to strangers, or doing anything and everything to make her friends smile. It made her happy to see the happiness in others.

It didn’t really fade when she got older, surprisingly enough. Sure, shining bright like that means that sometimes you burn yourself too. She got hurt. She’d open her heart up to someone, or do something for someone who probably never deserved her attention and care in the first place. Her parents tried to shield her from it in the beginning, when they’d find her laying on the bathroom floor, crying about a boyfriend who decided she wasn’t ‘good enough’ for him; or a friend who’d walked away and out of her life. It was hard.

After a while, they gave up. Because Chloe didn’t change. She stayed their sunshine, shining light and spreading warmth wherever she went.

The Bellas quickly felt that same warmth. They didn’t abuse it though. They loved her, almost as much as she loved them. Which was an enormous amount.

They had their issues; it wasn’t as if Chloe never got upset. Even the sun casts shadows. She fought with Aubrey, from time to time, and she’d get a little too worried. Sometimes she felt like she was carrying too much weight on her shoulders. But she’d look at it from a different perspective and suddenly the shadow seemed a little smaller and she was herself again.

But then, she met Beca.

And everything changed.

Because Beca was different than most people. She was distant, and didn’t like to be touched all too much (Chloe had noticed). It was difficult. She was a physical person, always had been, it was part of how she warmed people up to her. But she respects Beca’s boundaries, of course, tries to as much as she can. She would have let it go completely too, if it wasn’t for the fact that sometimes Beca looked at her with so much longing and want.

This thing between them remained unspoken. They both knew it was there. It started to grow from the moment Chloe had stepped into that shower with her, and was still growing, three and a half years later.

At this moment it wasn’t something that she was unsure about anymore. She knew, and Beca knew too.

Yet, it was weird. Because Beca never quite warmed up to her. Not in the way others seemed to just melt around her. She just couldn’t figure the other girl out. Every time she thought she knew what was going on in the other girl’s head, she’d surprise her.

Not that that was a bad thing. It was just.. new.

Eventually, though, they did kiss. It happened the day before graduation.

It wasn’t as big of a moment as she thought it would be. Maybe because part of it felt like it should have happened a long time ago.

“Chloe.” Beca said, walking over to where Chloe was sitting on the edge of the pool, her feet in the water. She was looking down, holding her cup in one of her hands.

As soon as she heard Beca’s voice she looked up, smiling brightly even though her eyes were watery.

“Hey. Are you okay?” Beca asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She’d become better at that.

“Yeah,” she shrugged, “I’m just sad that we’re graduating.”

“Me too.”

“There’s just so much that I-“ She couldn’t even finish the sentence; probably didn’t need to either. They knew each other well enough by now.

“Yeah. Me too.”

Chloe had leaned in then, brushing her lips against Beca’s. It was soft, and over too soon for her liking. Beca pulled away first. She didn’t look scared, or angry. Which was good at least.

Chloe sighed deeply. “I often think that we missed our shot. Like, we could have been something but we waited too long.” She said, then looked over towards where Beca was still sitting next to her, their knees almost touching and hands itching to move over and grab the other. “I need you to tell me it isn’t just me.”

Beca shook her head. “It’s not just you.”

The other Bellas had interrupted them before they got to say anything else. Pulling them up and onto their feet to join the rest of the party again. Sometimes she wishes they hadn’t, although she doesn’t think the outcome would have been any different. It was just too late.

* * *

 

It’s been a year since they last saw each other. They’ve talked, of course. They all have. But their lives have been busy and they’re all just trying to find their way.

She’s a little surprised when Beca agrees to go on the USO tour with them. As far as she knows, Beca has a steady job in LA as a producer, at a company that probably wouldn’t be okay with her just leaving for a month to go on tour with her acapella friends and sing a bunch of songs.

Still, it’s good to see Beca, so she’s not about to complain.

“I didn’t get fired.” She overhears Beca telling Amy as she arrives at Aubrey’s apartment. She arrived a little later than the other girls, who had already been there the entire day together, catching up. “I quit. I was just done.”

“Hey, guys.” She says, an easy smile forming itself on her face as she walks through the doors of Aubrey’s apartment.

“Chloe!” A bunch of them say at once, rushing over to hug her and tell her how much they’d missed her.

She walks over to Beca next, not hesitating to hug her this time. Forget personal bubbles and boundaries. She’s missed her.

“I’m sorry you got fired.” She whispers in her ear.

“It’s okay. I’ll find something.” Beca responds, pulling her a little closer.

“I know.”

And just like that, they’re back where they left off.

* * *

Chicago just kind of… happens.

He falls for her charm and smiles and warmth; thinks it’s something she does especially for him. A lot of guys do. It’s exactly why she got hurt so many times in the past.

She doesn’t really like him, but she’s felt kind of weirdly cold after the whole ‘Beca’ thing, and she just needs to feel like herself again. Especially now that Beca is around her, and smiles at her and is just really not very ‘Beca’ like.

It makes it harder because she starts to get her hopes up again, and that is really the last thing she needs in life. 

* * *

 

The month goes by way too fast, and before she knows it she’s kissing Chicago after their final performance because really, why not. Beca’s gone for good now anyway, and he’s nice enough. She doesn’t notice the other woman there, watching her with a somewhat sad expression on her face.

They find each other a couple of hours later.

“Hey.” Beca says as she sees Chloe walking over towards her. She’s leaning against the door of Chloe’s hotel room.

“Were you waiting for me?” She asks, a little confused.

“Uh. Kinda. Do you want to take a walk?”

She nods. Like she could ever say no to Beca anyways.

They walk in silence for a little while. The brunette seems to be gathering the courage to say something from the way she’s fidgeting with her coat.

“I’m moving to New York.” She finally says, after probably twenty minutes of silence.

“Yeah, I heard. I’m really happy for you Becs. I’m sure your new job will be amazing.”

Beca smiles in response, before falling silent again. It’s another five minutes before she speaks again.

“So uh, Chicago, huh?”

“What?” She asks, genuinely surprised to hear Beca knows about it.

“I uh, I saw you too.”

Shit.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“You don’t have-“ She stops herself, “I understand, Chloe. I just-”

“What?”

“No, never mind.”

Chloe places a hand on Beca’s arm and forces her to face her. It’s quiet around them, and she can practically hear her own heartbeat.

“Please tell me.”

Beca’s eyes get glossy. Chloe has never seen her show emotion like that. Not really. The younger woman usually runs off and hides.

“I just hate myself. I hate myself for being an idiot and waiting too long.”

“Waiting?” She asks, looking for clarification.

“God, Chlo, you know I suck at this. Just, waiting to tell you. Waiting to be with you. I keep feeling like I missed my chance. I missed my chance back at Barden, and then again, tonight. Maybe. I don’t even know if there still was one. A chance, I mean.”

Chloe smiles. “There was, there is. For you, always, Beca.”

“But what about Chicago?”

“He’s nothing. Not really. I like him. Just.. this is different.”

“I know what you mean.”

Beca shifts on her feet, and then puts some distance between them. She’s holding herself back again.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m scared.”

“Me too.”

“You’re just.. I don’t know how to say this, you’re just.. you. You’re all warm and happy and… you know.. human rays of sunlight and shit.”

Chloe’s chuckles at that, it’s different than what she had expected in the moment.

“I’m not like that, in case you haven’t noticed. I don’t light up a room when I walk into it. In fact, I probably do the exact opposite. I get all moody and sarcastic and I push people away.”

The redhead nods slowly. “You’re a rain cloud.”

“Well, thanks.” She says, with a typical smile and eye roll.

Chloe laughs, happy for the little relief of tension. “No, it’s not- I don’t mean it to sound bad.”

“It doesn’t sound very nice.”

“I know, but just.. hear me out,” she takes a deep breath before continuing, “People have always told me that I’m like the sun. I’m warm and I smile and I make others happy. And yes, I know that part of that is true. I like being who I am. But with you, it’s different. Before you are like a cloud. You change always, sometimes you’re right there and other times I can’t find you at all. You push people away from you, especially when you get all grumpy like you do from time to time. So I always thought it didn’t work. That we wouldn’t work. I thought that for a long time. But honestly, I don’t think I’m your sunshine. I don’t want to be your sunshine.”

She pauses, smiles softly at Beca. She knows she’s probably losing the other woman right about now, but she just has to get this out.

“I don’t shine right through you and make you disappear, and I don’t shine less brightly when you’re there. You don’t hold me back, you compliment me. I uh- I think I’m your rainbow. I couldn’t even be who I am without you. You only make be brighter and make my life more colorful. I need you. You’re my rain cloud, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I just- I don’t want to be sunshine if it means that you won’t be there.”

They’re both silent for a few seconds, and Chloe is starting to regret her words.

“That’s-“ Beca then finally starts.

“Bad, I know. Cheesy. Vomit worthy. I still-“

“I love you.”

“Meant it. Wait, what?”

“I said I love you, weirdo.”

“I..”

“I know,” Beca says, stepping closer, “I know that maybe I shouldn’t say that, because I don’t want to freak you out. But I’m guessing that if I can survive that whole ‘I’m your rainbow’ speech that you can survive this. I’m just done holding myself back, I’m done trying to protect myself and you from pain. I’m just- I’m done. I know what I want, and what I feel. I’m ready to let myself now. I’m not going to waste any more time. And now I’m just rambling and you probably just want me to-“

“Beca. Stop. I love you too.”

“You do?”

“Yes, you idiotic rain cloud; with a heart full of fluffy, soft stuff.”

An eye roll. “That’s really just water, you know.”

“Shut up.”

Chloe wraps an arm around Beca’s neck and pulls her closer. It’s Beca who closes the distance between them this time, connecting their lips together. Finally.


	15. The Wedding - E

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _The Bella’s are at CR’s wedding and Chloe accidentally leaves hickeys on Beca’s neck. And they are secretly dating. Maybe a little side staubrey in there as well?_
> 
> Rating: E
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“You think anyone will notice?”

“What, that we’re gone?”

“No, that you’re fucking me not even 10 feet from everyone else.”

“Oh.” Chloe says. “No.”

The redhead adds another finger, causing Beca to moan loudly. “Okay maybe. If you’re not quiet.”

“Chlo, I- I can’t stay quiet.”

“You better, if you want to come. Besides, you started this with your little speech earlier. I can’t believe you said that, Bec.”  

* * *

**_Four hours earlier_ **

“Alright okay, so remember-“

“They don’t know, yes, I remember. I can behave myself, Chloe. I think it’s you we have to worry about.” She gestures to where Chloe’s hand has found hers once again, automatically. Chloe immediately pulls it back and starts fixing her dress.

“Tell that to drunk Beca.” The redhead shoots back, knowing how her friend can get when she’s had a couple of drinks.

Chloe and Beca have been secretly hooking up for two months now. It had started one night when they were laying in their fold out bed together and they had both had a couple of drinks. Amy wasn’t there, of course (thank god for her).

Suddenly, and without any real warning, Chloe had leaned forward and kissed Beca. She’d wanted to, and even though she had for a long time but had never done anything about it, she suddenly did it. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against Beca and to her surprise, the other woman had kissed her back. And then she’d kissed her neck, and other places that made Chloe feel things she’d never felt before.

They didn’t really talk about it the next day. Beca had pressed a simple kiss to her lips, so she knew she didn’t regret it, but they also didn't talk about it. It took a few weeks before it happened again.

She wasn’t quite sure what it was. She wanted to talk to her about it, had tried a bunch of times, but Beca always brushed her off. Chloe had a feeling (she was pretty sure actually) that Beca liked her too, that this wasn’t just a ‘friends with benefits’ thing for her. Because Beca looked at her like she looked at Jesse all those years ago, except maybe with even more feeling, and she was so different around her. She was always texting her, and surprising her with nice things when she got home, and basically doing everything a girlfriend would do.

Except Beca wasn’t her girlfriend.

But she had every intention of changing that.

If she could just get Beca to actually talk to her and admit her true feelings.

They weren’t ready to tell the others yet, though, because really.. what was there to tell. Even they weren’t sure what was happening between them.

So they agreed not to mention it at all at Cynthia Rose’s wedding and just be normal. Which was really for the best.

It had been going fine for a while.

But then the ceremony starts and Beca’s shifting in her seat and looking uncomfortable and honestly, Chloe is pretty sure she can see she her tearing up a little bit and she isn’t sure what to do.

She places a hand on Beca’s knee, causing the other woman to turn to her.

“Are you okay?” She asks.

“Yeah, just uh, it’s nice, you know?”

Chloe nods. “Yeah. I’m really happy for her. They truly love each other.”

Seeing the look on Beca’s face, she now knows for sure what Beca is struggling with. She just wishes she’d tell her already. She would do it, if she didn’t feel it was so important that Beca would be the first one to admit it. So far, all the firsts in their new relationship had been because of things she’d done.  _She_ had kissed Beca.  _She_ had suggested they’d ‘take things further’.  _She_ had said that this wasn’t just sex to her.

Beca had just quietly followed.

It was time to change that.

After the ceremony, just as the reception is about to begin, Chloe pulls Beca aside. She’s not going to be the first one to say anything, but she will make it a little easier for her.

Plus, Beca looks hot in her red dress, and she’s had enough of this ‘no kissing and hugging’ rule. She needs privacy, she needs to touch her, if only for a few minutes.

“Where are we going?” Beca asks her, following her (again, following) outside of the tent where the party is happening and towards the hotel.

They make their way over towards what she assumes is the bathroom, and quickly pulls the door open.

Except, it’s not the bathroom, and it’s also not empty.

“What the-“ Beca says.

“Aubrey? Stacie?”

The two girls stare at their friends, watch as they detach their lips and fix their clothing to the best of their ability.

“Well, this is aca-awkward.” Beca says, earning herself an eye roll from Aubrey.

“Shut it, Mitchell.” The blonde shoots back.

“Aubrey, it’s okay.” Stacie says.

“I can’t believe this.” Chloe says once she finally manages to find her voice. Aubrey has a worried look on her face, while Stacie looks mostly pleased with herself (although a little annoyed they got interrupted).

“I can. I mean, everyone is at least a little bit gay for Stacie.” Beca adds, and Chloe can tell she’s had a drink already.

“Hey!”

“What? Like you aren’t the least bit attracted to her.”

Chloe bites her lower lip as she keeps her gaze on Stacie, realizing that yes, maybe she  _is_ a little attracted to her. Not like she wants to kiss her or be with her or anything. Stacie’s just.. Stacie.  

“See? You know I’m right. I guess Aubrey is just a little gayer for her than most of us.”

“I love her.” Aubrey says with confidence as she pulls Stacie closer to her and gives her a kiss on the cheek. It’s such a non-Aubrey thing to do that it causes both Beca and Chloe to freeze for a second, taking in what just happened. Stacie doesn’t seem too surprised though. She just wraps her own arms around Aubrey and turns her head to give her girlfriend a peck on her lips.

“Or, you know, that.” Beca finally says when she finds her voice again.

“Well, we should go.” Chloe pulls Beca away from the closet.

“Yeah, what were you guys doing here anyway?”

Beca shrugs. “Just, you know, getting,” She looks around the closet, “Brooms, and shit.”

“You were getting brooms?” Aubrey asks, clearly not believing a word she’s saying.

“Fat Amy dropped a couple of glasses.”

It’s believable enough, thank god. Aubrey and Stacie smile at them as Beca closes the door again and follows Chloe down the hallway, back to the party. She notices that the other woman is awfully quiet, more so than usual.

“Are you upset or something? Because honestly, I think it’s nice for them that they’re happy and love each other. I mean, I know Aubrey and I have had our problems but I really think that-“

“I want that.” Chloe interrupts.

“What? You want me to fuck you in a broom closet, because I can make that happen Chlo. I just happen to know that we also have a very nice hotel room upstairs for us to share. With a bed, I might add. Definitely more comfy.” Beca answers, wondering where this is suddenly coming from.

Chloe shakes her head, avoiding Beca’s eyes as she suddenly stands still and fidgets with her hands. “No uh- the uh- you know.”

“I don’t know.”

“They love each other.”

“Oh.” Is all Beca says in response, and for some reason Chloe thinks that’s enough of an answer. Like she knows what Beca is feeling. Or isn't feeling..

“I’ll just see you later, okay?”

Beca’s frozen, unable to respond. So instead she just watches her walk away, watches the love of her life walk away from her because she’s such a fucking idiot who can’t even tell her girlfriend that she loves her. She’s not even sure Chloe’s her girlfriend in the first place.

Oh fuck. What is she doing?

“Chloe! Wait!”

* * *

**_Three and a half hours and four drinks later_ **

She hasn’t been able to get Chloe alone this whole time.

She’s tried to pull her away, but the redhead just keeps brushing her off and telling her “not now.”

Eventually, she gives up. Even though she wants to tell Chloe.. so many things, she knows that she has to respect what she wants too.

So she just hangs around her and talks to the other Bellas, joking with them and watching them get crazier as the night goes on.

Finally, after about two hours, she feels herself being dragged up on the stage by Fat Amy while the other Bellas yell “Speech! Speech!”

She doesn’t do speeches, and they know. Which is of course exactly why they’re making her do it.

“Alright, alright.” She finally gives in, grabbing the mic. “Just so you know, I’m getting back at all of you for this.”

“Just talk, short stack.”

Beca rolls her eyes, before grabbing the mic. “Okay, so, I just wanted to say that I’ve known all you bitches for a very,  _very_ long time and I guess it’s kinda nice that we went from being a bunch of idiotic freshmen to.. well.. idiotic grownups in expensive dresses that we’re probably all going to return tomorrow. Because let’s face it, being an acapella legend doesn’t exactly pay the bills.”

The girls all laugh.

“Anyway, I’m just really happy for you, Cynthia Rose. You really found yourself someone amazing. I mean, Sophia hasn’t complained which I think is fucking impressive because I’m pretty sure Amy ate most of the cake and Aubrey has already yelled at five people here, as far as I know.”

“You’re wrong! It’s six!”

“Yeah, wouldn’t be too proud of that, Bree.” Beca says, again causing her friends to laugh.

“Okay, okay. So, just- I’m happy to be here with you awesome nerds and I love you all.” Then, as the other girls already start cheering, she locks her eyes onto Chloe’s and says more softly into the mic: “I love you.”

She walks down the stage, maintaining eye contact with Chloe the whole time as she makes her way over towards the redhead. However, just as she comes within arms reach of her, her eyes dart over to Cynthia Rose and the other and she hugs them instead, smiling warmly and congratulating the newlyweds again.

She spends a few minutes laughing with the fellow Bellas and just dancing with them, until finally, she feels a warm hand on her lower back. She can feel the touch on her skin, suddenly happy she’d chosen a dress with an opening on the back.

She turns around slowly, facing the other woman.

“Did you need something?” She asks with a teasing smirk.

“Come with me.” Chloe’s voice sounds low and husky, and Beca is immediately turned on.

“I’m kinda busy, Chlo.”

“Beca, I swear to god. I’ll never have sex with you again if you don’t follow me  _right now.”_

She does.

Chloe has her pressed up against the outside of the tent not three minutes later.

The redhead connects their lips, and the kiss is hungry and passionate, and better than any other kiss Beca has ever had.

She pushes back against Chloe just as hard, trying to swap positions, but Chloe is stronger, and grabs her shoulders to keep her where she is.

“No,” She says, “let me.”

It sounds possessive, and somewhat aggressive, but it turns her on  _so fucking much._

Her telling Chloe she loved her had apparently made the other woman so excited that she’d felt the need to have Beca right then, right there. It was probably one of the best things she’d ever experienced in her life.

She could hear her friends laughing over the loud music coming from the tent.

“We could get caught.” She says once Chloe’s lips finally detach from hers for a split second.

“I don’t care.”

“Chlo.”

“I said, I don’t care.”

Chloe’s hand moves down to her leg, pushing up and up her thigh until the material of her dress starts to move with the redhead’s hand.

They don't have much time.

“Hurry up already.” Beca says, wet and desperate for Chloe’s touch.

The redhead kisses her once more, and lets her fingers trail up even higher until they reach between Beca’s legs for the first time.

“Oh my god.” She pulls back, looking down at where her hand is between Beca’s legs. “You’re not wearing underwear.”

Beca smiles. “Nope.”

“Why?”

“Because I had hopes.”

“You hoped I was going to have sex with you against the side of the tent.”

“No, but I did hope we were going to have sex in our hotel room, and I was assuming we’d be drunk, so I just wanted to make it a little easier for us.”

Chloe groans. “I wish that didn’t turn me on, but it  _really_ does.”

“My efficiency is very hot.”

“You need to shut up.”

“And you need to hur-“

Just then, Chloe presses a finger into her entrance, causing her to moan loudly. The brunette can hear how loud she’s being, and suddenly she’s worried.

“You think anyone will notice?”

“What, that we’re gone?” Chloe responds, slightly out of breath as she keeps pumping in and out of Beca while her mouth starts attacking her neck.

“No, that you’re fucking me not even 10 feet from everyone else.”

“Oh.” Chloe says. “No.”

The redhead adds another finger, making Beca moan once more. “Okay maybe. If you’re not quiet.”

“Chlo, I- I can’t stay quiet.”

“You better, if you want to come. Besides, you started this with your little speech earlier. I can’t believe you said that, Bec.”  

Beca can barely even focus on what Chloe is saying right now. All she can think is how good it feels to have Chloe take her like this.

“I- I meant it, Fuck.” She finally says. “I love you.”

Chloe leans forward and bites harshly into the skin of her neck, making her claim. “I’m never letting you go, just so you know.”

“I don’t want you to.”

Chloe’s thumb moves to her clit and starts rubbing hard and fast circles, almost making Beca fall to the ground. She pushes a thigh between her legs to hold her up.  

“So, you want to be my girlfriend then?”

“Yes, fuck, yes. More than anything. Please be my girlfriend, Chloe.”

It earns her another deep kiss.

“Bec?”

“Yeah?” She says, having a hard time finding her voice.

“I love you too.”

She comes then, clenching hard around the redhead’s fingers while Chloe keeps kissing her and sucking on her neck while she keeps pumping in and out of her, letting the other girl ride out her orgasm.

When Beca finally comes down from her high, she leans her head on her  _girlfriend’s_ shoulder.

“I can’t believe we just had sex.”

“Well, you better.”

“Do you want me to-“ She gestures down to Chloe’s crotch, but the redhead just shakes her head.

“Later.”

Beca smiles and nods before pressing a small kiss to her lips. “You ready to go back?”

“Uh.” Chloe starts, “You might want to put some makeup on your neck before we go.”

The brunette frowns. “What? Why?” She pulls out her phone and opens the camera app, her eyes widening as she notices the multiple red marks on her neck.

“Chloe!”

“Sorry,” She answers sheepishly, “I just couldn’t help myself.”

“Well, we better go and cover this up then.”

* * *

**_Half an hour later_ **

“So,” Cynthia Rose says once they’re all together again, sitting at their special Bella table. “Looks like you guys had some fun of your own, huh?” She raises her eyebrows as she eyes Beca and Chloe, sitting next to each other on the other side.

Immediately, both their faces turn red. They didn’t think anyone had noticed. Beca had been a little drunk, sure, so she was a little louder than normally, but Chloe made sure to stay out of sight and cover her mouth. Plus, everyone inside the tent had been dancing to loud music and was almost as drunk as her girlfriend. She was certain that nobody could hear them. Apparently though, she’d been wrong.

“Oh my god. We didn’t think you could hear us. We’re  _so_ sorry. Seriously.” She says.

“Yeah. Very sorry for fucking against the side of the tent. But also, not really.”

“Beca!”

“I might be a little drunk.”

“Uh,” Amy starts, looking confused but with an amused smile on her face. “Yeah so actually we just noticed the hickeys on Beca’s neck…”

The redhead’s eyes widen. She wants to fall off her chair and under the table and never come out again. Next to her, she can hear Beca almost choking on her drink.

“But it’s great to know that you guys are smashing each other’s backs out and everything.”

“Excuse me?” Aubrey asks, confused.

“You know, banging against the tent. Whatever they called it.”

“Oh my god.” Chloe’s sure she’s never been more embarrassed in her entire life.

“Well, this is unfortunate.” Is all Beca has to say, who, for some reason, still looks amused. And also, a little bit proud. “Guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh Chlo?”

“Yeah, so we kinda already knew.” Stacie chimes in, wrapping her arm around Aubrey and pulling her close. “Finding out like this is certainly unexpected though.” Aubrey adds.

“And at my wedding!” CR says, pretending to be upset with them. Chloe looks mortified for a second, but just as she’s about to apologize for ruining her party, the other woman starts laughing. “Nah, just kidding. I actually made the most money out of the bet, so you bitches actually made my day even better.”

The rest of the group groans out in annoyance, before reaching for their purses.

“Wait, you guys placed bets on us?” Beca asks, “Now I  _am_  a little offended!”

All the girls kind of just shrug, not really caring what they think. “Well, if you would have just gotten your act together five years ago we wouldn’t have had to.”

Beca huffs out a breath in annoyance before crossing her arms and leaning back into her seat.

“Guess I can’t really complain, though. Chloe did just fuck me against a tent.”

Everyone just bursts out laughing, but Chloe reaches for her girlfriend and immediately put a hand on her mouth. “Alright, okay, I think that’s enough for tonight. Me and my  _girlfriend_ are going to call it a night, but we’ll see you all tomorrow. Sleep well.”

Beca sends her a big smile then, leaning in quickly to press a kiss against her cheek. She can’t believe how good it sounds to have Chloe call her her girlfriend.  

“Sleep well!” Aubrey says, smiling as she watches her best friend drag Beca out of her seat and away from the table.

“Yeah, like we’re actually going to sleep.” Beca tries to whisper in her ear, but it’s a little too loud, and again, the others burst out laughing.

“Just make sure you actually make it to the hotel room this time, okay?” Cynthia Rose says as she watches them go, pretty sure she can hear Beca say that the elevator is ‘close enough’.

God, these two.

She would complain, but then again she made 500 dollars tonight, plus she got married to the most beautiful woman in the whole world. Yeah, she  _really_ can’t complain.


	16. Chloe (You're the one I want) - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Can you write a bechloe fic about Emblem3’s song which is called Chloe (You’re the one I want)? Whenever I listen that song it reminds me Bechloe_
> 
> Rating: T

Beca’s in her dorm room, alone. Kimmy Jin has gone off with her friends again and she is supposed to be working on their set list for the Finals. Now that Aubrey has finally agreed to let her back in and take control of the music, she  _needs_ to do well,  _needs_ to find the perfect songs.

So far, she has nothing. Price Tag by Jessie J, maybe.  _If_ she can figure out what will work with it.

She’s leaning with her head on her desk, just listening to music that she knows she’ll _never_ pick, when a familiar song comes on. She hasn’t heard it for a very long time, had almost forgotten she had it on one of her playlists.

_“Chloe, I know your sister turns everyone on._   
_But you're the one I want._   
_But you're the one I want.”_

She smiles softly, painfully reminded of the crush she’s had on her friend for the better part of her freshman year. Chloe had been on her mind ever since the moment she had first laid eyes on her. She’d seen Chloe before the redhead had seen her, right when she arrived, but she hadn’t dared to come over to her booth, not even after circling the fair four times. She was lucky it was Chloe who finally called her over, or she would never have done it.

The worst thing about this was that everyone else thought she had a crush on Jesse. Sure, it was nice that they had no idea it was Chloe she liked (this way she could always sit next to her, or do stuff with her, or just stare at her without the others thinking something was up) but she also didn’t like that they always talked about Jesse. Sure, she knew the truth, of course. He was really just a friend. For the longest time, she didn’t really care that they didn’t believe her. In fact, it was kind of fun to see Aubrey freak out about her possibly ‘boning’ a Treblemaker.

Still, there was one Bella she wishes knew the truth. However, she couldn’t just randomly walk up to Chloe and be like “Hey, you know what? I actually kinda am not into Jesse at all, and I just would really like to kiss you all day every day, how about that?”

Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

Besides, she was sure that Chloe wasn’t into her, and even if she was (just thinking that seems insane) she was probably still a little pissed at her for everything that happened before. And she had every right to be, Beca should have never yelled at her like that. It was awful to throw Chloe under the bus like that, when all she’d done was show her support and be there for Beca.

She didn’t even apologize, Chloe just kind of accepted her back into the Bellas (and her heart) without anything. She could tell that something was different though, like she was trying to hold herself back from Beca.

Chloe deserved an apology, and she deserved to hear how amazing she was.

Anyway, she has no idea what to do now, because there’s nothing she  _can_ do.

She listens to the song over and over, and suddenly, she knows what to do.

It’s stupid that she didn’t see it before.

She knows how to tell Chloe she’s in love with her, knows how she can do this without freaking out.

And maybe, just maybe, it will be enough. Maybe Chloe will forgive her, and maybe she’ll like her too (a girl can dream) and even if she doesn’t, Beca really just needs to get this off her chest. 

She calls Jesse, because she needs someone who is not directly involved with all of this to help her out. Plus, he’s the only one that knows about her crush on the redhead.

“I think this will work.” Jesse finally says after they’ve worked on it for a while.

“You do?”

“Yeah, Becaw, that sounds amazing. She’s going to love it.”

She shrugs, then ducks her head down. “I’m not sure, what if she hates it?”

“She won’t.”

“But what if she does?”

“She won’t,” Jesse repeats but then adds, “but  _if_ she does, it will be okay too. You’ll live.”

* * *

“Alright, well, I’ll just see you tomorrow then, okay?”

It’s an hour later, and they’re finally done.

She gives Jesse a soft smile before opening up the door to let him out. To her surprise, Chloe is on the other side of the door, with her hand raised in the air to knock.

“Chloe!” Jesse says, greeting her. “Pleasure to see you here.”

He turns back to Beca to give her a wink, which the redhead can’t see.

“Oh yeah, you too.” She responds, but it doesn’t sound like she totally means it. Beca wonders why that is.

Probably because Jesse being here means that she wasn’t working on their music. Although, she  _was_ , but Chloe doesn’t know that.

Beca waves goodbye to him before finally turning to face Chloe, smiling softly at her.

“Hey, Chlo. What are you doing here?”

“I uh- I just came to see how the mix is coming along. But I guess you were hanging out with him, huh?”

She frowns. “Chloe, I-“

“Oh no, I didn’t mean it judgmentally or anything.” Chloe quickly says, “You  _should_ hang out with your boyfriend, I was just wondering if you wanted my help. But I guess I’ll just leave you alone then.”

Before she can turn around and walk away, Beca reaches out to grab her wrist and pull her close again. Even that small touch sends shivers through her body, and she almost doesn’t want to let go. Which is definitely a new feeling to her, the wanting.

“No, wait. I  _do_ want your help. Or at least, your opinion. Plus, Jesse was just here as a friend. He wanted to help too.”

Chloe still doesn’t look too happy about that. “I could have helped as well, Beca. After all, this is  _our_ group.”

Is she jealous right now?

“I know, but I didn’t know you wanted to. I know you’re super busy all the time. Jesse was just.. he offered, he had time.”

Chloe smiles softly, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Bec, really, it’s okay to talk about him to me. I’m not Aubrey.”

She shakes her head again. “No, I mean it! He’s  _just_ a friend, and well.. I just needed his help for this specific thing.”

Chloe clearly still doesn’t believe her, and although Beca could push and try to make her see it now, she could wait too. The Finals are almost here, and then she’ll know.

“Alright, well, uh- what are you working on then?” She smiles, and it’s more like her usual self, thank god.

Beca returns the smile as she lets her into her room, opening up her laptop and letting Chloe listen to what she’d been working on.

“It’s good!” Chloe says as she slips the headphones off her head. “It’s  _really_ good, Bec. You’re so talented.”

She blushes. “Uh, thanks. It’s just uh- you know, anyone can do this, really.”

“Just accept the compliment.”

She rolls her eyes, but also can’t stop the small smile that’s forming on her lips. “Thanks, Chloe.”

“Can I say one thing?”

“Yes, please!”

Chloe gestures towards the screen. “I think that maybe we can add something here, you know, right after we sing the first part of Price Tag.”

Beca nods. “I agree, and I’m kinda working on something already, but you gotta trust me with that, okay?”

The redhead nods. “Of course I trust you. I’m sure that it will be amazing.”

She gives Beca’s shoulder a squeeze, and Beca can tell once again that she’s holding herself back. She really shouldn’t, because she’s started to really like their moments together, especially the moments in which Chloe is hugging her, or touching her in general.

* * *

She talks to Amy a week later, right before they really need to start practicing and getting the whole act together.

She didn’t want to, but Jesse had said that she  _really_ should, because she doesn’t want a repeat of last time, which is true. She really doesn’t.

The blonde couldn’t have been more excited for her, and also, she wasn’t surprised to hear about her crush on Chloe at all.

“Yeah, I honestly thought you guys had been pashing this entire time.”

She looks confused.

“You know, sucking on each other’s faces.”

“Gross.”

“You still want it.”

“Let’s just stop talking about this. The point is, do you want to help me?”

Amy winks at her then. “Of course, shortstack, I already texted the other Bellas, well, except Chloe of course, and they’re all on board.”

“What?! You told everyone?”

“Was I not meant to?”

She groans. “No uh- I guess there was no other way, I just- I feel so embarrassed right now.”

“Why? We all knew already anyways, plus, Chloe has a boner for you too, so it’s fine.”

* * *

“You seem nervous.”

Chloe’s standing next to her, wearing her Bella outfit and looking pretty confident and excited.

“I mean, yeah, it’s the Finals.” She answers with a shrug, hoping it’s enough to convince her.

“I know that,” She chuckles, reaching down to take Beca’s hand in hers and giving it a soft squeeze, “I just didn’t know you cared that much.”

Beca turns to her then, winking at her. “I care about some stuff.”

Over the last few weeks, Chloe has been starting to give her signs. Sings that show that maybe there really is more than just friendship here. It’s weird, and although the other Bellas have tried to convince her that Chloe really likes her, she still can’t quite believe it. It does make her a little more confident though, and she knows that she can do this. 

Chloe opens her mouth to respond, but then the other group finishes and it’s their turn. She gives Chloe’s hand a final squeeze before letting go and walking up the stage. The other Bellas smile and nod at her, silently telling her it’s go time. They got this.

* * *

It’s going well. Aubrey did her part, followed by Chloe, and Beca can feel her heart pounding in her chest as she stays in the back, waiting for her part to come.

They’d practiced this, in a way, but she’s still nervous.

Who knows what will happen..

She feels a little more comfortable as they get to the chorus and she can dance more freely, feeling the audience starting to become enthusiastic as well.

 _“Wanna make the world dance, forget about the price tag.”_  They sing, and Beca makes her way over towards her spot, knowing she’s up next.

Amy looks at her and winks, silently encouraging her to go through with it and not chicken out at the last moment.

She’s got this.

She  _has_ to let her know.

And this is the only way Chloe will know it’s real.

_“Price tag, forget about the price tag.”_

**_“Yeah, yeah, Chloe.”_**  She starts, dragging out her friend’s name. She walks through the little pathway the rest of the Bellas have created, smiling at Chloe as she walks past her. The redhead is frowning, clearly afraid Beca has made a mistake.

But then, the other Bellas join in with the beat, and resume their dance routine while Beca keeps singing.

**_“You’re the one I want.”_ **

_“You’re the one I want.”_  Amy sings with her then, while Beca stares at Chloe and shoots her a wink. The redhead looks completely flustered, barely managing to keep dancing.

 ** _“I love the way that you like candle light. Stay close, by my side.”_**  Just then, the Bellas start to line up, and Chloe takes her spot next to her, having joined the singing now and adding a beautiful bass to her song. Beca grabs her hand, and intertwines their fingers, happy that Chloe doesn’t pull back from her.

**_“I just want a chance to show that-“_ **

_“You’re the one I want”_  The other Bellas sing softly, with Aubrey now standing on her left side, smiling warmly at her for the first time since they’ve met.

**_“If only you could believe in yourself the way that I believe in you. I- I do.”_ **

_“You’re the one I want.”_

**_“If you only you could see all of the beautiful things that I see in you. It’s true ooh, ooh, ooh!”_**  She sings, and the others start jumping around her.

 ** _“Tonight,”_**  She starts, now going back to what they  _had_ all practiced before, and Chloe now probably realizes why she insisted on having this song at this moment in their performance.  ** _“I will love, love you tonight. Give me everything tonight. For all we know, we might not get tomorrow, let’s do it tonight.”_**

Chloe has tears in her eyes, she can tell, but she’s smiling too and dancing and singing along again.

**“ _Forget what they say, all my care they play, I want you tonight-“_**

She knows that Chloe was supposed to team up with Denise here, at least, that’s what she thought, but before she can go, Beca grabs her hand and pulls her close to her.

 _“Grab somebody sexy, tell them ‘Hey.’ Give me everything tonight.”_  Stacie sings then, while Beca twirls Chloe around in her arms and shoots her a wink.

“ ** _Yeah, Chloe, you’re the one I want.”_**

“ _Give me everything tonight.”_  
  
Cynthia Rose takes over then, giving Beca a moment to really pay attention to Chloe’s reaction to this. She’s flustered, and clearly surprised, but she doesn’t look mad. In fact, she looks kind of really happy.   
Beca looks in her direction, just as they’re about to line up for Fat Amy’s part, and she shoots her a small smile.

Chloe returns the smile, and she finally feels herself calm down a little bit. She did it, she really did it.

 _“And I may take you home with me if I could tonight,”_  Amy sings.

 ** _“Chloe, I have no doubt. You’re the one I want.”_** Beca sings her line again, once again moving away from the spot she was supposed to be in, or at least, the one Chloe  _thought_  she was supposed to be in.

She stands behind the other woman and the others all team up as well. They all make a certain dance move while the girl in front does her own move, synchronizing beautifully.

Beca, however, just leans forward to press a kiss to Chloe’s cheek.

Then, she moves away again, and for a second Chloe forgets where she’s supposed to go.

They quickly form the triangle while Beca stands in front, and from the corner of her eye, she notices Chloe taking her spot to her left, almost too late to go down with the rest of the Bellas while Beca sings.

**_“Hands up, I put my hands up.”_ **

Another smile. “ ** _You got my heart and that’s the only thing that matters. But you’re the one I want, yeah.”_**

 _“Party in the U.S.A”_  
  
It’s the final part. The Bellas break up and start dancing across the stage.

_“Tonight, I will love, love you tonight, give me everything tonight. For all we know,”_

They move towards each other, standing in their familiar circle and raising their hands up in the air.

_“We might not get tomorrow, let’s do it tonight!”_

The Bellas stand still for a few seconds, enjoying the cheering and applause of the audience, letting it all sink in. They did it, and there’s no way that they’re not going to win, she can tell.

Chloe starts walking down the stairs in the middle of the stage, down to the aisle between the audience, like they’re supposed to do. The other Bellas follow her, because it’s time for them to take their appointed seats.

She wants to wait, she really does, but this ‘thing’ between them isn’t private anymore anyways, and she just  _really_ wants to kiss her.

Right now.

“Chloe wait!” She shouts, making the other woman stop in the middle of the aisle and turn back to her. Amy and Aubrey quickly move past her to take their seat, now leaving nobody in between them. The audience is still clapping and cheering for them, only making this moment more amazing.

They seem to get even more excited as they start to catch on what Beca is doing.

She runs down the small steps until she’s standing in front of Chloe, a big smile on her face.

“Chloe.” She says again, panting just the littlest bit, “I like you. A lot.”

Chloe smiles. “I got that.”

“Do you- Are you-“ She starts, but she can’t quite find her words.

Chloe doesn’t care though, because not even a second later she’s grabbing Beca by the collar of her blue blouse and pulling her forward until their lips connect.

Beca immediately wraps her arms around Chloe’s neck while the redhead kisses her softly.

She lets their mouths move slowly against each other for a few seconds, aware that they’re still in public and everyone is watching them. Just as she wants to pull away though, Chloe traces her bottom lip with her tongue, and she can’t help but gasp into the kiss.

Chloe uses the opportunity to deepen the kiss, letting her tongue brush against Beca’s.

The kiss probably isn’t appropriate, not for where they are right now, out in public like this. It’s desperate, and deep, and she knows their hands are grasping and pulling, but she needs this, needs Chloe.

Finally, though, they do pull back, but only because Amy is pulling on her arm and telling her to stop giving everyone a free show.

Chloe’s smiling at her, her eyes never leaving Beca’s.

“Was that okay?”

“The kiss or-“

“Everything. I just- I didn’t know how to tell you.”

The redhead chuckles. “I figured. And it’s very okay. More than okay, actually.”

“So you?”

“I like you too, Beca, a lot. Nobody has ever done anything like this for me.”

She smiles too now. “You deserve it, Chlo. You deserve the world.”

“Is it okay if I just want you?”

Beca nods. “Even better.”

She finally becomes a little more aware that they’re still standing in the middle of the audience, and grabs Chloe’s hand to intertwine their fingers so that she can direct the other woman towards their seats. She sits down next to her, immediately wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to her body.

Suddenly, someone is tapping on her shoulder, and she turns around to see Jesse smiling at her.

“Told you it would work.”

Chloe rolls her eyes when the two give each other a high five, but she can’t help but feel extremely relieved to know that Beca really isn’t into him, and is in fact  _very_ into her. It’s kind of sweet how the two of them worked together to do this for her. She nuzzles a little closer to Beca and places a sweet kiss on her cheek before letting her head fall down onto her new girlfriend’s shoulder and letting out a deep content sigh. For once, she doesn’t even care if they win tonight, because nothing can make her happier than having Beca in her life.


	17. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone - M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from Tumblr: _Could you maybe do one where beca or chloe is drinking too much too often and the other is concerned that they’re using it as an unhealthy coping mechanism please? x_
> 
> Rating: M

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that this story has gone way beyond what you were expecting. But it sort of happened. All 9000+ words.
> 
> It’s angsty, for sure, but with a prompt like that, it makes sense of course. I think this might be the most achingly beautiful thing I’ve ever written, if I say so myself. This story is a journey, and although I’ve never experienced anything like this, I felt like I was on that journey with Beca.
> 
> I hope I did it justice. 
> 
> So yeah, angsty, but with a happy end so hang in there.
> 
> Love you all.

_You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone._

When Beca had sung those words for the first time five years ago, she didn’t really mean it.

When Chloe had sung it to her, three years after that, it had made her somewhat emotional. She  _was_ leaving, they were all leaving. But she had an internship, and soon a job, and knew what she wanted, and she was going to be  _okay._ She’d do okay without them.

Then, she left and Chloe and Amy came with her.

It was a little frightening at first, especially because their tiny apartment didn’t allow for any personal space whatsoever.

But it was nice.

It was nice because she forgot to eat, but as soon as Chloe noticed she started to make her lunches, and have breakfast ready for her when she had to get up. They didn’t really talk about it, it just kind of happened.

And then it was nice because there was someone who actually cared whether she was coming home tonight or not, someone who cared if she was okay. Chloe would  _always_ text her before she went to bed, making Beca promise that she’d come back home to sleep, even for just a few hours.

It was nice because they talked and talked and talked on the weekends and it was actually really fun and Amy knew just how to make her laugh when all she wanted to do was cry, and Chloe was always just  _there_ waiting on her with open arms she could run into.

They supported each other, were amazed by each other, and never judged.

They had different dreams, but they were there for each other.

And Beca kind of loved it.

* * *

 

But then, she got fired.

She told Amy she quit, of course, but it wasn’t like that.

She hadn’t messed up, her boss just ended up not liking her ‘personality’ and she was ‘difficult to work with’. Which was worse,  _so_ much worse.

Because that meant that no matter how good she was going to ever be, she’d never be a real producer if people didn’t want to work with her.

“Becs,” Chloe had said that day, wrapping her arms tightly around her, “I’m  _so_  sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about, I quit, I told you.”

She knew that Chloe could see straight through her lie, but the wound was too fresh and it was painful to talk about how someone had basically straight up told her she was a bitch, when she already knew she hadn’t always been the best friend. Especially to Chloe, who deserved the whole world.

So no, she hadn’t told her the truth.

Two days later, Chloe got accepted into vet school.

She didn’t tell Beca.

“Why didn’t she fucking tell me?” Beca had asked Fat Amy, too aggressive and too harsh. She was drunk, and she hadn’t moved from the couch in two hours, hadn’t showered in three days or brushed her teeth.

“Beca.”

“No, I’m serious. She seriously didn’t even fuckingtell  _me_? She always goes on and one about how close we are, yet she doesn’t even consider telling me when something like this happens.” She’d found the acceptance letter underneath Chloe’s pillowcase when she’d finally made it to the bed at 6am this morning, when Chloe had already left.

“She’s going to go to San Francisco and she’s just gonna leave without saying anything?”

“I don’t think that’s-“

“It starts in two weeks, Amy.”

She’s quiet after that.

* * *

 

Chloe arrives home late that night, which never happens.

Beca assumes Amy’s warned her about her ‘mood’ and told her not to come home until after Beca was asleep. Well, the joke is on her, because she’s still awake.

Not that she wants to, she apparently just can’t fall asleep without the steady breathing of her best friend next to her and she  _hates_ it. When did she become the person who needs someone to be that close to her?

Chloe slips into bed next to her, being as quiet as she can.

She doesn’t even realize she’s crying until she feels Chloe’s hand on her shoulder.

“Bec.”

Immediately, she stops.

“Don’t.”

“Beca, what’s wrong?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“I-,” Chloe starts anyways, “I heard you found the letter.”

“Yeah. Totes awesome I had to find out like that, thanks. What were you gonna do? Just move out next week or so and not mention anything?”

“No, Beca, that’s not what-“

“Because I thought that this was more than that. I thought we were..  _friends_ Chloe.”

Chloe’s crying too now. She can’t see her but she can tell, can hear.

“We  _are_ friends. I was never going to just leave like that.”

Beca shakes her head.

“I just can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“You got fired, Beca.”

She turns around then, facing Chloe and glaring angrily at her. “I didn’t get fired. I told you, I quit.”

“Sure, whatever. You were sad, and I didn’t want to make it worse.”

In her heart, she knows that what Chloe did wasn’t horrible. She meant it well, she wanted to protect her, not tell her she got the opportunity of a lifetime right after she got fired. Yet, still, she was too overwhelmed and too emotional right now to think like that right now.

Chloe reaches out to wipe her cheeks, but she turns her head away.

“Don’t touch me.”

If Chloe’s leaving, if all of this is ending anyway, she might as well end it now.

It might as well be all over.

She slips out of the bed and reaches for the suitcase she has laying around, packed up for when she needs to go somewhere for work. She vaguely hears Chloe trying to stop her, but she doesn’t listen.

Chloe is just going to have to miss her when she’s gone.

* * *

 

She left.

And for some stupid, fucking reason Beca realizes that she was wrong all those years ago.

She was wrong when she sang those words, because it isn’t Chloe who’s missing her, it’s Beca.

Beca misses Chloe.

She misses her everywhere, all the time.

Their house is empty and quiet without the constant singing, and nothing’s the same.

“Hey Bec. Did you- did you get off the couch at all today?” 

Amy tentatively asks her as she returns from her new job.

Even Amy found a new job. A proper, paying job.

“Why should I?” She asks, slightly slurring her words as she takes another swig from the bottle of strong liquor she’s nursing.

“Uh. It’s uh- it’s not even 5 yet, Beca.”

She looks over at the clock on their wall. “Close enough.”

Amy shakes her head and tries to take the bottle from her. Beca just pulls it closer to her chest. “Why do you even care?”

“I’m your friend, Bec.”

“Well, friends suck. They leave.”

Amy doesn’t say anything then, realizing having a conversation with her is pointless.

She hasn’t talked to Chloe.

Not since she walked out of their apartment that one night.

The redhead had tried to contact her, tried to find her, for a couple of weeks. But then, everything went quiet and Aubrey told her (she hadn’t asked, not really) that Chloe had moved to San Francisco and had started school.

Good for her.

Beer helped, for a while.

But then her body got used to it.

And then, whiskey helped. Lots of it.

* * *

 

“Shouldn’t you get ready?” Aubrey tells her as she walks into her apartment late one afternoon.

“For what?” Beca asks her, relatively sober for once.

Today marked officially nine months since Chloe had left, and she hasn’t even managed to get out of bed. Even getting up to find her good friend Jack seemed too much work.

“The reunion, silly.” The blonde answers, and Beca still can’t believe how Aubrey has stuck with her these last few months.

All she’s done is try to push her away, which shouldn’t have been difficult at all, because Aubrey never liked her in the first place, yet she’s still here.

“I’m not going to that.”

“You are.”

She walks over towards Beca and pulls the covers off her body. The blonde has to hold back a gasp when she sees just how skinny Beca looks.

“I’m not.” Beca says, trying to reach for the covers again.

“She won’t be there. Plus, do you really want everyone else to worry about you? You know they’ll never shut up about it. You might as well get it over with.”

It’s a lie.

But Beca is too weak to catch it.

“Alright, but only for an hour.”

“That’s fine. Let’s get ready.”

* * *

 

She’s basically drunk by the time they get there.

The other Bellas don’t seem to mind, just making a joke of it probably being the only reason ‘Beca could bear to be around all of them for the evening’. They have a couple of shots as well and soon everyone is drunk and it doesn’t matter.

The alcohol can’t numb the sting she feels when a familiar face steps into the bar, her red hair tied up and sporting an easy but somewhat nervous smile.

“I thought you said she wouldn’t be here.” She hisses towards Amy, who just holds up her hand and moves away from her.

She’ll fucking kill her.

“Beca.”

It’s Chloe.

* * *

 

_**Chloe’s POV** _

Chloe didn’t want to leave, she’d never wanted to, was never going to.

The position wasn’t great and it was far and she had a life here. 

When she got the letter she didn’t tell her friends at first because she wasn’t sure what she was going to do.

One part of her wanted to go.

Staying here with Beca and Amy was good, really good, but it wasn’t something that could last. She knew it, and they knew it.

If she would stay she would just be delaying the inevitable.

Plus, Beca was brilliant, and she’d get a job in Los Angeles and then Chloe would never see her again and she’d be alone in New York with nothing.

But Beca didn’t get a new job, she got  _fired._ She knew, of course, that the brunette was lying about it. She didn’t care, not really.

She wouldn’t go to San Francisco.

Beca needed her, obviously.

Maybe she’d wait a few weeks before finally finding the courage to tell her how she felt and  _maybe,_ just  _maybe_ Beca would love her too and then it didn’t matter anymore where they’d go because they would be together.

She put the letter under her pillow that night, hoping it would in her dreams somehow tell her that she made the right decision not to accept. (ridiculous, she knows, but her mom thought her that)

But then Beca found the letter and everything went wrong.

She walked out and didn’t come back and Chloe knew that they were never going to be anything when she refused to talk to her, they might not even be friends anymore, and suddenly she can’t stay. She can’t stay in the apartment; she can’t even stay in the city.

So she accepts.

And leaves.

* * *

 

San Francisco is okay.

Everything seems to be ‘good enough’.

She dates someone after a few months for a little bit and he’s just ‘nice’ and ‘kind’ but he doesn’t make her feel the things Beca made her feel.

School is okay and her friends are fine, but it’s not what it was.

Not even close.

She misses them.

Now that they’re gone she realizes even more how much she loved them, appreciated them.

Mostly Beca.

Because yes, Beca was cold sometimes and sarcastic and didn’t really tell Chloe that she loved her, or that she was her best friend or whatever, but at least she meant it.

Her new friends call her ‘babe’ and tell her ‘love you’ when they part and it’s all fake smiles and words that sound untrue and it’s suffocating her.

At least when Beca had looked at her that one time after worlds and told her ‘I love you’ she meant it. Maybe just in a ‘we’re best friends’ way, but she did mean it.

She’d rather have it said once than have it like this.

She’s tried to contact Beca once more, later one, when it had been officially six months since their fight.

She didn’t pick up.

* * *

 

She gets a call from Amy.

Eight months after leaving New York Amy calls her.

They’ve called before, a couple of times, but they were never  _that_ close and she doesn’t want to ask about Beca and she can tell that Amy’s not sure if she should just tell her or not say anything.

So they don’t talk about her, not until right then.

“I need your help.”

“What? Why? Is everything okay.”

There’s a silence on the other end of the line before Amy finally answers. “Uh, no. It’s not okay. Beca’s not okay.”

Her heart clenches painfully in her chest, even after all this time apart.

“What’s wrong?”

There’s a sigh coming from Amy’s end, and she knows how hard this must be. “Please just call Aubrey. She’ll tell you.”

She does, right away.

“What? I thought we agreed we weren’t going to tell you!” Is the first thing Aubrey says.

“Tell me what?” She’s angry now, because they still should have told her if something was wrong. She has the right to know! Or does she?

“Chloe it’s-“

“Tell me.” She pushes, and she can hear Aubrey taking a deep breath on the other end of the line.

“She’s been drinking, Chlo.”

“Yeah, she uh- she does that when stuff’s hard sometime. I’m sure it’s just a bad week-”

“Chloe.” Aubrey interrupts. “She’s been drinking ever since you left. She doesn’t get up from the couch, never, and she barely eats. She looks pretty bad.”

Tears fall down her cheeks instantly. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She chokes out.

“I thought I was handling it. I see her almost every day, I bring her food, I try to find the bottles but she’s sneaky, and a pain in my ass.”

There’s a pause.

“I think she might really hurt herself, Chlo.”

She brings her hand up to her mouth, not believing what’s happening right now. “What- what do you want me to do?”

“Come to the reunion in a few weeks.”

“Bree-“

“I know, I know you don’t want to, and I can’t promise that she’ll be civil, in fact, I can guarantee you that she’ll treat you like shit and be beyond wasted, but I think that she still needs you to be there. I just don’t know what else to do.”

She doesn’t want to go, not really, because clearly, Beca doesn’t want her there. It will be awkward and painful and she’ll still love her, no matter what, and it will make it so much worse.

But Beca  _needs_ her, even if she doesn’t realize it herself.

“I’ll be there.”

* * *

 

She stands outside for about twenty minutes before she finally finds the courage to go in.

Her whole journey here had been messy and rushed, and all she could think about was Beca, Beca, Beca. She needed to see her,  _right now._

Yet, now that she was finally here, she was terrified.

This wasn’t going to be pretty.

She walks through the doors, and she can feel Beca’s eyes on her instantly. It’s weird, how she knows it’s her, but she just does. It makes her shiver.

Just as she’s about to look back at her, she can feel Beca’s gaze shifting away from her. She spends a minute or two greeting the other Bellas before she finally gathers enough courage to make her way over towards the bar, where Beca is currently sitting (and leaving heavily on the counter).

She says something to Amy, and based on the look on her Australian friend’s face it’s nothing pretty.

Still, she’s here, and she  _has_ to do this.

No matter how it’s going to hurt her own heart, she has to find the strength within herself to do this, to fix this.

After all, it’s partly her fault.

“Beca.”

She can’t believe how thin the other woman is. She’s always been slim, of course, Chloe had noticed that. But she was strong, stronger than most people assumed and her muscles were prominent and she had just the right amount of curves in the right places and she was  _beautiful._

Now, there was barely anything left.

Not that she could say anything about that, of course.

“What the hell are you doing here?” The words are slurred, and it makes her heart clench. She knew that Beca was drunk, of course, but it’s still painful to see up close.

“It’s the Bellas reunion, of course I’m here.”

“Right.” Beca says, but it lacks the anger she’s looking for.

“How- How are you?”

The brunette huffs and shakes her head. “I’m great. Awesome. Can’t you tell?” She takes another sip of her drink, and Chloe watches how her hand trembles when she puts the glass back down.

“Bec-“

“I  _really_ don’t want to talk to you, Chloe. I just came here for Amy and Aubrey, and that’s all this is.”

“I know,” She responds, forcing a small smile on her face, “that’s okay. I just- I’m here.”

Beca rolls her eyes and walks away, but something in her eyes tells Chloe that she understands  _exactly_ what she’d just said.

* * *

 

Aubrey suggesting the USO tour is some kind of miracle really.

Beca agreeing to go is an even bigger one.

“It’s not like I have anything better to do.” She says, as she shrugs and leans against Amy.

They’re all afraid to say something, worried it might make Beca change her mind. The others don’t know what’s going on exactly, not really, but everyone can tell that something is wrong, of course.

So nobody says anything. They high five Beca and hug each other and Beca doesn’t flinch when Chloe puts a hand on her shoulder and gives it a squeeze. Then again, she may not have noticed it.

* * *

 

She knows that it’s very risky, going on this tour with Beca.

It gives her a chance to take care of her, to watch her, to make sure she doesn’t get drunk all the time.

But she has to be careful too.

Beca doesn’t even want her around, and Chloe is sure she’s going to freak when she finds out that she’s watching her.

But Beca makes it a whole day without drinking.

Which, according to Amy, is some kind of miracle.

She’s eating, and she smiled at dinner, and she even hugged Aubrey.

Chloe doesn’t know why, but she saw them talking before and they hugged.

She wants to ask, of course, but she respects their bond too. They have something that she and Beca don’t have, and she doesn’t want to get in the way of that. Especially because it seems like it’s helping.

“Maybe I should just go home.” Chloe says to Aubrey that evening.

“Why?” Aubrey asks, confused. This is something they both really wanted, and it would be weird for Chloe to walk away from it.

“I don’t think Beca wants me here.”

“She does.”

“Bree, she  _hates_ me.”

Aubrey shakes her head. “Beca doesn’t hate you, Chlo. Just- I can’t tell you what to do because it would be unfair to Beca, but just try to be her friend. I can’t promise you that she’ll make it easy for you, but you’re strong, you’ve always been the strongest of all of us, and I think that she really needs you now. Even if she doesn’t know it herself.”

She nods, tears falling down her cheeks.

Saving Beca might break her.

* * *

 

_**Beca’s POV**   
_

Beca wakes up with a hangover the next day.

Which isn’t new.

Except this time, she didn’t drink anything last night.

She had no alcohol and yet her head is pounding, her eyes are swollen and her mouth feels dry.

She’s been crying.

She remembers crying in bed last night, and she remembers hearing Chloe knock on her door a little after 4AM and telling her to go away five times before the knocking finally faded and she’d left.

Aubrey came in a little later and had held her for a while.

She cried, and she shivered because she was cold to her bones, but she didn’t drink.

She’d feel happy about that if she didn’t feel worse today than any other day.

Aubrey was gone now but there was some aspirin and a glass of water next to her, along with a little note telling her she loved her and that the other Bellas were downstairs if she wanted to join them for breakfast.

She does.

It’s not as bad as she thought it would be. Chloe looks at her the whole time, she can tell. She can feel the redhead’s eyes on her, and she’s too scared to look back.

* * *

 

Chicago.

That’s all Beca can think about.

Chicago.

They’re in Italy now and she can’t even enjoy the location.

She hasn’t been like her old self yet, but she will admit that she was doing better.

Her friends are there and for once, she has a purpose again, a goal. She has something worth fighting for.

Nobody has tried to talk to her about what’s going on, they’re all just there, and it makes her appreciate them even more. She’d feel guilty about her behavior if she had any energy and room in her heart left to feel those things.

She does hate how cold she is towards Chloe.

The redhead doesn’t deserve it, not really.

Beca doesn’t have the right to be this mad, she knows that.

Chloe had a chance to do what she wanted, and she took it. She should have talked to Beca about it, yeah, but she also knows that when Chloe says she was doing it to protect her, she should have believed her.

So what is she really mad about? Chloe leaving her after she told her to go? Chloe not calling her after she tried to do so for the longest time without any response?  

No.

She’s mad because Chloe doesn’t love her back, and that’s not something you can blame someone for.

It just hurts, and being angrier is easier.

But she’s starting to realize that it isn’t fair.

So, she’s just about to walk up to Chloe, to talk to her, for the first time, when she notices Chicago talking to her.

She’s laughing, and he’s putting a hand on her arm and she’s giving him that smile that she used to only give to Beca.

It hurts.

She turns around and walks to the bar.

* * *

 

_**Chloe’s POV** _

Chloe finds Beca sitting at the hotel bar a couple of hours later.

She doesn’t know what happened.

She actually thought that Beca had been doing better. She was smiling a little more and Chloe  _knew_ that she hadn’t been drinking, not since the first evening.

She was upset, yes, but after that one night of crying (which still hurts so much when she thinks about it) Beca has been doing okay. Chloe knows because she’s made sure she has the room next to her every single time, wanting to be right there in case something happens.

“Becs-“ She starts, but Beca is already shaking her head and holding up a hand.

“Don’t say anything.”

“We need to talk.”

“I don’t wanna talk.”

Chloe sighs deeply. “I know you don’t want to talk, but we’re gonna do it anyways.”

She tries to get up, walk away, but Chloe is much stronger now and also sober. It’s useless.

“Let’s go to my room.”

Beca fights back. “Shouldn’t you be kissing soldier boy?”

It hurts.

Of course, it hurts.

She doesn’t want to kiss him, not really, but she does like him. More than she’s liked anyone since Beca. He’s nice and cares about her and isn’t trying to hurt her most of the day. He’s not staring at her like she ruined his life.

So yeah, she doesn’t like him as much as she liked (likes) Beca, but he makes her happier.

Right now, he does.

And maybe that’s what she needs.

She doesn’t necessarily want to actually be with him, but just getting that small amount of attention, the validation that she  _is_ a good person, and that she  _is_ worthy of love.. it’s nice.

“Chloe, seriously, fucking let go of me.” Beca says, pulling on her arm, trying to get it free from Chloe’s grip. She pulls back harshly, making Chloe winch as she feels the sting of Beca’s nails digging into her own arm.

She knows.

She knows that when Beca pulls like this she has to push.

Beca pulls back in the shower when they meet and she pushes forward.

Beca pulls back from a hug and she pushes herself into her arms.

Beca pulls back from the Bellas and she pushes with her words to make her join again.

Beca pulls away and she pushes.

But this time.. she lets go.

Beca pulls her arm away and she doesn’t do anything.

She just lets her walk away.

Because even for her this is too much.

* * *

 

_**Beca’s POV** _

She’s hung-over again the next day.

She’d almost forgotten how painful it is. Almost.

Her head is pounding and it really fucking hurts, but at least this is pain she is familiar with. At least she knows how to heal this, deal with it,  _fix_ it.

The pain she feels in her heart? She’s not so sure about.

She’s an idiot.

An absolute fucking idiot.

She’s been the worst person ever, and she knows it.

Yeah, she’s known it all this time, but she didn’t fully realize it until now.

She’s done, it’s done.

This has to end.

She texts Aubrey, who’s in her room not three minutes later.

“What happened, Beca?”

She can tell Aubrey’s upset with her, but trying to hold herself back.

It makes her feel even worse.

Her friends have learned to be careful around her, to never say anything that might make her get angry, or drink.

It’s horrible.

“I’m  _so_ sorry.” She starts crying then, and Aubrey’s arms are around her a second later.

She tries to pull back. “I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you as a friend, or Amy, or especially Chloe.”

“We’re not going anywhere, Beca, you might as well start accepting it.”

She lets go then. She’s weak, and tired, and hung-over and she has no energy left to fight it.  

She hugs Aubrey back and cries into her shoulder for a solid ten minutes.

“How is Chloe?” She finally dares to ask.

Aubrey pulls back and smiles somewhat sadly at her.  

“Not great, to be honest. But don’t worry, we got it. She’ll be okay.”

She shakes her head then. “No. I did this; I have to fix it.”

She tries to get up, but Aubrey just pulls her back down onto the bed. “Not now, okay. Don’t get me wrong, Beca, I’m happy that you want to fix this, and I can see that you mean it when you say that you’re sorry. But if you truly want to help Chloe, you leave her alone.”

A tear falls down her cheek. “Oh. Yeah. I understand.” It hurts, because all she wants to do is run up to Chloe and hug her, and apologize, but she knows she can’t. She’s been selfish for long enough.

No matter how hard it’s going to be, this needs to stop. She’d hurt Chloe yesterday, more than she ever had before.  

If Chloe wants to be with Chicago, she should.

She deserves to be happy, and she shouldn’t have to deal with Beca and her bullshit.

It’s not fair.

She knows.

“You can see, can’t you?” Aubrey asks. “It’s like a cloud was lifted or something.”

“Yeah,” Beca responds, “I can see.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“Nothing ever is.”

“I’ve got you.”

“I know.” She says, letting herself fall into Aubrey’s arms once more. She has her friends, and they have her. She’ll get there.

* * *

 

They’re in France. The tour has been okay.

Their performances are going great, and Beca is actually starting to really enjoy herself.

She almost slipped last night, but Aubrey has this sense where she can tell when Beca is disappearing into a dark corner of her mind. She’s so good at it that Beca knows she must know from experience. One day, she promises, she’ll ask her. She’ll be strong enough to help her then.

Chloe seems to be alright.

She smiles, and although it lacks her usual brightness, it’s still there.

She knows that she’s talking to Aubrey too, which probably helps.

Beca has kept her distance, mostly.

She just wishes her a good morning, and a good night, and she smiles at her after their performances.

She doesn’t know whether to feel happy or sad when Chloe smiles back.

Because Chloe shouldn’t smile back, she should smile at Chicago, and never look at her again.

But she does, and it’s beautiful.

* * *

 

That night, there’s a party.

It’s almost the end of the tour, tomorrow is the last day, and Beca has been chosen to sing for DJ Khaled.

Not the Bellas, just her.

She wasn’t sure in the beginning, but they were all extremely happy for her, and most of them had come up and hugged her, saying that if there was anyone who deserved this, it was her.

They were too nice, really.

But she smiles.

Because for once, she has a future to look forward to.

She has something that she can do when she’s done.

So, she goes to the party, because it’s mostly about her anyway and it would be weird if she didn’t go. This guy, Theo, had organized it for her and all the other Bellas would be there too and it was going to be one of the last night they’d have together.

Aubrey’s by her side as she walks into the room, the strong smell of alcohol immediately making her nauseous. “You can do this.” Aubrey says, giving her arm one small squeeze before walking away from her for a moment.

She needs to do this now. On her own. Because soon she won’t have them in her life, not like this, and she has to make sure she doesn’t end back up on that same couch.

She mingles with some of the guests for a little while, noticing Chloe talking to Chicago in a corner, laughing. She takes another sip of her water and turns her back to them, breathing slowly and deeply. She can do this.

“Hey!” Someone says, causing her to turn around. Oh, it’s him.

“Theo.” She answers, forcing a smile.

“Congratulations.”

“You’ve already said that.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, but I figured I’d say it again, seeing as this is your party and everything.”

“Oh. Thanks.” She answers, her lips forming a tight smile that doesn’t reach her eyes at all. It’s the same smile she used to give Aubrey in the beginning of their friendship, but Theo doesn’t seem to notice it’s not real.

“So, you wanna get a drink?”

Her heart stops. She’s sure of it. For a second it stops in her chest, and then starts beating at a rhythm that she knows is way too fast.

“Oh.” She answers, needing something to fill the silence while she tries to clear her mind.

“Come on, it’s not that difficult of a question. I’ll get it for you, what are you having?”

Suddenly, Chloe’s there. She can tell because she can feel her presence behind her. She doesn’t look at her though.

“I’m good actually, thanks.”

“Are you sure?” Theo pushes, “This  _is_ your party after all. You wouldn’t want to come across as ungrateful.” He’s joking, she knows, but she can’t help but feel horrible. And hate him a little for saying that.

“Theo, she-“ Chloe starts, but Beca turns back to her and shoots her a small smile, holding up her hand to let her know it’s okay, she’s got this.

“Yes, Theo, I’m sure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to be with my friends.”

She turns back to face Chloe, who is just gaping at her, a shocked expression on her face. As soon as they make eye contact though, a small smile appears on her face.

“You want to go hang out with the others?” She asks tentatively, “Or, if you just want to be with Chicago, that’s okay too.”

Chloe nods. “No, I uh- I’d like that.”

Beca smiles at her, an honest smile, and hooks her arm through Chloe’s, dragging her along.

* * *

 

The performance is amazing.

It’s absolutely perfect.

Especially when all the other Bellas join her on stage and Chloe actually  _hugs_ her afterwards.

She loves them so much.

She would never have gotten where she was today without them.

“I love you.” She says as she pulls Aubrey into her arms once more.

“I love you too, Beca.”

She has a future.

She has a job.

She knows where she’ll go and what she’ll do and it’s something that she loves.

She still has her friends.

And she has Chloe back.

Maybe not in the way that her heart would truly want her, but at least she’s back into her life and although it’s a little shaky, they’re friends again and that’s enough.

Right?

* * *

 

_**Chloe’s POV**   
_

Chloe can’t believe what happened.

These last few weeks have been the best and worst weeks of her life.

Beca is.. she’s Beca again.

She’s sarcastic and joking, and she  _smiles._ She pushes and pulls and she cocks her eyebrow when that annoying dude says something and she looks like herself again too.

She looks better.

She’s careful at first, a little scared to let her back in too easily, but Aubrey assures her it’s okay, so she does.

She hugs Beca after her performance, relieved and content when Beca buries her head in her neck and wraps her own arms tightly around her.

“I love you guys so much.” She whispers then, and it’s odd, because it’s like she was going to say “I love you” but changed her mind at the last second.

Chloe’s not sure if she wanted her to say that.

Chicago’s there, waiting for her. She knows, because she told him to meet her backstage after their performance. Nothing’s happened, not yet, and she knows she can’t drag him along for much longer.

He makes her happy.

That’s what she needs, right?

She makes her way over towards the side of the stage, to the exit, and follows the path down to where she knows he’ll be waiting.

“Chlo, wait!”

She turns around instantly.

It’s Beca.

Of course.

She’s panting a little.

“Are you okay?” She asks, a little worried still.

“I’m great.” She says, and for the first time, Chloe can tell that she means it.

She smiles then, and Beca returns it. Then, her eyes drift over to the right a little, and Chloe can tell she’s spotted Chicago. She watches at the smile fades from her friend’s face.

“I’m sorry.” She says.

“It’s okay.” Chloe just responds, taking a step closer so that she can grab Beca’s hand.

“No, I mean, I’m  _sorry._ ” She looks deep into Chloe’s eyes then, and the redhead squeezes her hand, silently urging her to go on. “I’m so sorry, Chlo, for everything. I know that an apology like this isn’t enough, and it never will be, but it’s a start. I want to be your friend.”

Chloe knows that tears have started to fall down her cheeks. “Bec, it’s okay.”

She shakes her head. “It’s not, Chloe. It’s really not okay. But I’m going to try to make it up to you.”

She starts to let go of her hand then, using her chin to gesture over to where Chicago is standing, still several feet behind them. “I want you to be happy. If that is with him then I can deal with that. You mean  _everything_ to me, Chloe. It just took me the longest time to realize.”

Chloe looks into her eyes, not believing what she thinks she’s hearing right now.

“Give me a reason.”

Beca frowns. “What- What do you mean?”

“Give me reason not to turn around and kiss him.”

The brunette shakes her head, a tear falling down her own cheek. “I have only one, but it’s not enough.”

“Tell me anyway.”

She can tell Beca is struggling, and she steps even closer. “I need to hear you say it, Beca, please.”

Finally,  _finally,_ Beca makes eye contact with her. “I love you. I love you so much, Chloe.”

She chokes out a sob, letting her head fall down on Beca’s shoulder. She’s relieved, and in incredible pain at the same time. She’s wanted to hear her say those exact words for the longest time, but now everything is different.

“It’s not enough,” Beca says, bringing her hand up to bury it in Chloe’s hair.

“It’s enough for me.”

“No.”

Chloe pulls back, looking into Beca’s eyes. The younger woman takes in a deep, shaky breath as she maintains eye contact. “I’m not the person you need right now, or deserve.”

“Beca I-“

“Please let me say this, okay? Chloe, over the past 10 months I’ve done nothing but make you unhappy. Me doing well right now and loving you doesn’t make up for all of that. I have a job now, in L.A, and you have vet school, and well.. him. You need to do what makes you happy, and I don’t think having me in your life like this is going to make you feel that way. I’m not- I’m not who I want to be, but I think I can be. Soon, hopefully. I want to be with you, truly, if that’s what you want, but not right now.”

Chloe’s shaking her head, desperately pulling on Beca’s hands. “You  _do_ make me happy, Bec.”

“Chlo, you’re crying.”

She wipes angrily at her cheeks, pretending to be okay. She knows that Beca is right, she knows, somewhere in the back of her mind.

“Point is, I want to make this right, and I want to do right by you, and to do that I have to fix myself first. I need to be sober, for real, and get my life together. And then, if you’ll still want me, I’ll be there waiting for you.”

Chloe starts crying more loudly now, wrapping her arms around Beca’s neck and pulling her in for a tight hug. “I love you so much, Bec.”

“Me too.”

“Promise you’ll wait?”

“Yes, Chloe.”

* * *

 

_**Beca’s POV  
** _ **_9  months later_ **

Beca Mitchell, successful music producer and artist.

That’s something she can say now.

She’s made it.

She’s living in L.A, has a job she actually loves, and friends that call her almost every day.

Aubrey and Amy have both been over twice already, and Beca could tell they were relieved to see how well she’s doing.

It wasn’t easy, in the beginning, in fact, it was one of the hardest things she’d ever have to do.

Leaving New York, leaving her friends, leaving  _Chloe,_ it was almost impossible.

But she didn’t drink.

She hasn’t had a drink ever since that one night.

She’s better and she knows she owes it to all of them. But they don’t want a thank you, they just want friendship.

But that won’t do. Not this time.

She sends Chloe a text. They’ve talked a lot, over the phone, and they’ve texted. But they haven’t seen each other, and Beca has no idea if she’s still seeing Chicago. They never talked about that stuff, not even for a minute. It was just too hard for her, and Chloe seemed to understand.

So they stayed best friends and supported each other in every other hard decision or work-related issue.

But Beca waited, of course.

And she was ready now.

Which is why she sends her a text.

**Beca: Hey. I hope you’re doing okay. I just wanted to let you know that the Bellas are all coming down here in two weeks, for my album release, and I would really like you to be there too. I understand if you don’t want to.**

She gets a response not even ten minutes later.

**Chloe: I wouldn’t miss it for the world. xx**

* * *

 

_**Aubrey’s POV**   
_

“Are you nervous?” Aubrey asks her as they stand next to each other.

They’re waiting for Chloe to come through the doors at the airport, and it’s taking forever. Or maybe it just feels like it is. Beca is shifting from one foot to the other and Aubrey can tell she’s freaking out.

“Yeah, of course. I uh- I don’t know.”

Aubrey knows what she’s talking about, and nods. She wants to tell Beca that it’s going to be okay, in fact, she wants to tell her a whole lot of information.

It gets frustrating being the person standing in between them.

It always has been, and although she knows they greatly appreciated her, each in their own way, it’s been painful for such a long time, and she’s ready for this to be over, for them to be happy. For her two best friends to  _finally_ get there.

It’s weird, being able to say  _two_  best friends.

Who knew, that when Beca had crossed her path all those years ago and she’d called her ‘bitch’ that they would get here.

She knows everything about the other woman.

She’s known her at her best and at her worst.

She met Beca when she was sarcastic, and never serious, and  _mean_.

She learned who she really was when she sang, from her heart, and won worlds for them.

She became her friend when Beca was there for her, one night, when she just really needed someone to tell her to quit the bullshit, and don’t push herself too much.

She grew to love her when Beca made her first track, and had her success.

Then, she was there when Beca needed her, laying on the bathroom floor, wearing nothing more than a towel, an empty bottle in her hand crying because Chloe had left her and she was empty and couldn’t  _feel._

She was there when Beca screamed at her until she couldn’t speak anymore.

She was there when she came running to her apartment at 5AM, crying and sobbing and  _drunk._

But Chloe came back.

And Aubrey got her best friend back.

She was with Beca when she celebrated her six months of sobriety.

She was there when she finished her album and played the songs for Aubrey, the two of them celebrating deep into the night and  _smiling._

You’d think that it was lonely, and hard, being a friend to someone so broken.

But it wasn’t.

Because Beca has been there too for her, this entire time.

When Aubrey’s father had not shown up for her birthday, when she got in a fight with an old friend, when she lost her grandmother.

Beca was there.

No matter how bad she felt, no matter what state she was in, Beca was there.

And Beca was there when Aubrey came home, with the biggest smile on her face because she’d just kissed Stacie.

And she didn’t care that she was having a rough day, because Chloe had left four months ago, she just wrapped Aubrey up in a hug and told her she was happy for her.

And now?

Now they were both here, content, happy, relieved.

“Chloe.”

Aubrey snaps out of her thoughts to see Chloe rushing over towards the both of them, a big smile on her face.

She practically runs into Beca’s arms, wrapping them tightly around the other woman’s waist.

Aubrey watches as Beca buries her head in Chloe’s neck. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too. You look great, Becs.”

Then, Chloe lets go and gives her a hug, squeezing her tighter and holding onto her longer when she wants to pull back. “Hey, Bree. It’s good to see you. I’ve missed you.”

“You too, Chlo.”

They’re okay.

They’ve made it.

* * *

 

_**Chloe’s POV  
** _

Aubrey was right.

Beca’s music is  _amazing._

It’s raw, and from her heart, and it makes them all tear up a little.

Some songs she sings, others she just stays behind her mixing table and works her magic.

All the Bellas are huddled together, their arms around each other while they dance and jump and celebrate.

“So uh-“ Beca starts then, having reached for the mic again. The club quiets down immediately, everyone wanting to hear what she has to say.

“I have one more song left. I know it wasn’t on the album, but this is kind of a special one to me.” She clears her throat, a clear sign that she’s nervous. She makes eye contact with Chloe then, who gives her a soft smile, urging her to go on.

“I want to dedicate this song to my friends, you guys know who you are, and especially to Aubrey, Amy and Chloe. Thanks, guys.”

Chloe looks at Aubrey then. “Did you know about this?”

The other woman holds up her arms. “I swear I didn’t.”

Chloe turns back to Beca then, who’s reached for a guitar. Chloe didn’t even know she could play.

A soft melody starts, and before she’s even sung one word, the tears are streaming down her face. Next to her, Cynthia Rose wraps an arm around her, and she reaches down to intertwine her fingers with Aubrey’s while the blonde leans her head on Stacie’s shoulder.

_“Thank you for being there,  
_ _Thank you for brushing my hair.  
_ _Thank you for teaching me life isn’t fair,  
_ _and showing me how to care.”_

Beca starts, slowly, beautifully.

_“Thank you for picking me up,  
when as usual, I fucked it up.  
_ _Thank you for telling me all my mistakes,  
_ _for lessons that life sometimes makes.”_

She starts strumming a little faster then, going into the chorus.

_“Before it gets too late,  
_ _and the moment slips away.  
_ _Until my final days,  
_ _Thank you is all I can say.”_

Chloe has stopped trying to hold back her tears now, letting them fall and fall until they’re clouding her vision. Beca looks up, and makes eye contact with her for a moment, and she manages to give her a watery smile.

Then, her gaze shifts over to Aubrey and Amy as she sings the next part.

 _“Sorry that I stayed out late,_  
and all the nights you stayed awake.  
But I’m twenty-five and I still haven’t learned,  
but one day the tables will turn.”

She looks at Chloe again.

_“And before it gets too late,  
and the moment slips away.  
_ _Until my final days,  
_ _Thank you is all I can say._

_Thank you for leading the way,  
Thank you is all that I wanted to say.”_

She strums the last chord, letting the sound slowly fade away.

Seconds later, the whole club is cheering and applauding, but Beca and Chloe only have eyes for each other.

* * *

 

__**Beca’s POV**  
  
Beca finally finds Chloe about an hour later.

She’s been forced to do interviews, and photo-shoots and PR work and her mind is not there. She can’t think straight; she  _needs_ to be with Chloe.

She finally just tells her manager to find her again later, because there’s no way she’s going to give a half decent interview now anyway.

“Where’s Chloe?” She asks her friends when she reaches them.

They each come over to give her a hug, Aubrey lingering longer than the others.

“Bree?”

“She’s outside.”

“Is she-“

“She’s okay, Beca. Just overwhelmed.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Go talk to her.”

She nods, then smiles at her other friends and promises she’ll catch up with them later tonight.

“Thanks. I love you guys.”

* * *

 

_**Chloe’s POV** _

Chloe is leaning against the wall of the club, staring off into the sky.

“Hey.” Beca says, causing the older girl to turn around and face her. “Can I take you somewhere, just for a bit?”

Chloe nods. “Yeah.”

Beca’s driver is already waiting for them, and Chloe blindly follows. He apparently doesn’t even need to ask where to go, automatically driving in the right direction.

They get off on the beach.

“I come here a lot,” Beca explains, “Just to clear my mind, you know.”

Chloe nods, following Beca down until they get close to the water. The brunette sits down then, gesturing to Chloe to do the same.

Normally, she’d care about her expensive dress, but right now, sitting next to Beca on a quiet beach with nothing but the stars above them is all she wants.

“Your song was amazing, Bec.”

Beca smiles softly, looking up at the sky instead of at her. “I just- I didn’t know how to thank you, all of you. Music is the only way I’ve ever known.”

Chloe doesn’t say anything, just lets her head fall down on the brunette’s shoulder. They’re both thinking about it, she knows.

“Can I ask you something?” Beca finally starts, and Chloe can tell she’s nervous. Her left hand has started to play around with the sand, letting it run through her fingers.

“Did I wait?” Chloe guesses, causing Beca to whip her head around and raise an eyebrow.

“Uh. Yeah.”

She smiles. “Yes, Beca, I waited. Of course.”

The brunette lets out a breath of relief. “I- so you and Chicago didn’t work out?”

Chloe’s quiet for a second, not sure how to respond to this.

“Can I say something and you have to promise me that you’re not going to freak out?”

“Uh. Sure, yeah. I promise.”

The redhead sits up straight then, turning her body around so that she’s facing Beca, the ocean now behind her.

“I never kissed him. After we talked, I told him I wasn’t feeling well and that was it. I left and we never spoke again.”

“But, Chlo-“

“I know, I know he could have made me happy, maybe, for a few months, but that’s not what I wanted, what I  _want._ ”

Beca shakes her head, a tear falling down her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Making you wait, or whatever.”

“Beca, stop. You made the right decision, I mean, look at you!”

She smiles softly. “I want you to be happy too.”

“I am. Really, I am.”

Beca seems somewhat relieved to hear that, at least. It’s the truth, she’s been happy, happier than she has been for a long time. Just knowing that Beca was out there, feeling better and living her dream made her happy too.

And the fact that she now knew they could have a future together.

She would have waited 5 more years if that’s what it took.

“I love you, Chloe.”

“I love you too.”

She can tell something is still bothering her. “What’s wrong?”

“What happens now? What happens if I kiss you? You leave in two days and then that’s it? I can only see you from time to time? We’ll call? I’m not saying I don’t want that, because I’d still want to be with you even if I only got one day every 10 years, but I need to know.”

Chloe smiles, understanding.

“So, and again, don’t freak out, I actually got into the vet school in L.A a couple of months ago. I applied for a transfer between the two programs, and I’ve got a spot waiting for me, if I accept it.”

A smile grows on Beca’s face. “Are you going to?”

“I want to.”

“I want you to.”

A tear falls down Beca’s cheek and she reaches out to wipe it away.

“Can I kiss you now?” She asks, and Beca nods.

Chloe leans forward and connects their lips. Finally.

She moves her lips softly against Beca’s, applying just the right amount of pressure. She can taste the salty flavor of the tears that fall down the brunette’s cheeks, and it makes her push a little closer, bringing a hand up to cup Beca’s cheek while she traces her bottom lip with her tongue.

Beca immediately grants her access into her mouth, letting Chloe deepen the kiss.

Their tongues brush against each other in a perfect melody, pulling and pushing, while their hands cup cheeks and wrap around necks.

After what feels like minutes, Beca pulls back from the kiss, but not before placing one last small peck on her lips.

“Oxygen.” She explains, a soft smile lingering on her lips.

Chloe chuckles. “Overrated, right?”

Beca nods in response, then leans her head down on Chloe’s shoulder while the other woman wraps an arm around her.

“I kinda don’t want to leave, but I also don’t want to abandon the other Bellas at that horrible launch party.”

Chloe laughs softly. “Well, good, because I texted them, and they’ll be here soon.”

Right then, she can hear a group of girls chatting and laughing behind them, and she turns around to see her friends walking up to them.

Aubrey stops behind them and gives them each a kiss on the top of their heads before sitting down next to Beca, with Stacie next to her on her other side.

Nobody says anything, they just stare at the ocean and enjoy the peaceful moment together.

“I really love you guys.”

Beca finally says, and Chloe leans in once more to place her lips against Beca’s briefly.

“We love you too, and we’re all incredibly proud of you.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you guys.”

Beca leans forward, looking at her friends, each of them smiling through tears. Then, she leans back against Chloe, smiling contently.

* * *

 

_She’s got her ticket for the long way ‘round._

_The one with the prettiest of views._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is 'Thank you' by Miss Montreal if you want to listen to it :)


	18. I'll protect you - M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Some guy insults Beca and Chloe punch him really hard that her hand get injured. When Beca taking care of Chloe's hand they share their first kiss?_
> 
>  
> 
> Rated M for some violence, a little bit of blood and some over the clothes action *wink*

 

Chloe’s not violent.

She’s never even hurt a fly.

Literally.

Chloe Beale is the kind of person who will stop a car from running over a slug.

She’s  _not_  the kind of person that punches random guys in the face.

Beca is.

If their roles had been reversed this wouldn’t have been too weird.

She’s seen Beca punch people before, on multiple occasions, and although it makes her gasp in shock, she can’t help but admit that the brunette looks hot while she’s doing it. Not that she would ever tell her that though.

But Beca didn’t punch anyone.

She did.

* * *

_Two hours earlier_

They’re at some stupid frat party, again.

As if they haven’t had enough of those yet.

They weren’t going to go, but then Jesse and Beca broke up a week ago and she’s been sulking in her bedroom and she needed it. She’d come out of her room, wearing a black top and her hair was curled and cascading down her shoulders.

“We’re going out tonight, bitches.”

Most of the girls had already been wearing their pajamas, all of them exhausted because of the stress that their senior year was giving them, as well as the pressure of having to win Worlds.

“Uh, yeah, no thanks.” Cynthia Rose says, shaking her head.

But then Chloe’s eyes meet Beca’s, and the redhead understands immediately.

Over the past couple of years, they had come to understand each other better than anyone else. They didn’t even need words most of the time.

“No, I think we should.” She says, turning around on the couch to smile at the other Bellas. “Soon we won’t have time anymore to all go out like this together. We’ll have our own life, and then we’ll look back and wish we’d gone out together more.”

They look unsure for a second, but then Amy stands up and smiles. “Alright then, let’s get slutted up.”

* * *

They’re drunk not even 45 minutes later.

She doesn’t know who made the punch tonight but she’s pretty sure it’s 97% alcohol, 1% juice and 2% ‘gross frat party’ stuff.

So yeah, Chloe is drunk, and so is Beca, along with everyone else.

She danced with her a little, in the beginning, but then Beca had disappeared. She does that, she ghosts on them, now even more often than before.

It’s not just the internship, which  _yeah,_ she does know about.

(You’re not  _that_  good at sneaking around, Beca)  
  
It’s all the other moments too. When she should really be home, or hanging out with them or Jesse, but she’s not there. She knows she’s not still at her internship (she has inside information), so where in the hell is Beca going?

Anyway, she figures she’ll wait until Beca is ready to tell her, whenever that may be.

“Chloe.” Someone is pulling on her shirt, and when she turns back she can see that it’s Amy. “What’s up?” She asks, only slightly slurring her words.

“You gotta come help. Something is up with Beca.”

She follows immediately.

Beca is inside of the house, in the living room, standing in front of a guy she vaguely remembers seeing before.

Right away, she can tell something is off.

Beca has pressed herself up against the wall, as far away from the guy as she can get, and she has her arms folded across her chest.

She’s also not looking at him, even though he appears to be yelling something at her.

She walks a little closer, Beca still not having noticed her, and she can finally catch on what he’s saying.

“Why you gotta do that to him, huh?”

“I told you, it’s none of your business.”

The guy takes another step closer, and Chloe can already feel her own heart start to beat faster in her chest. Beca can take care of herself, she knows that, probably better than any of them. Doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to protect her, though.

“Yeah, well, I heard that you’re in love with someone else. What? Did you cheat on him or something?”

Finally, Beca drags her eyes up to look him in the eye. She’s pissed, Chloe can tell.

“Who told you that?”

“Jesse himself.”

She huffs out a breath. “I’m going to kill him.”

“So it’s true? You cheated on my boy?”

Right, Chloe remembers, Jesse’s annoying friend from high school who showed up occasionally. She remembers now. She also remembers him hitting on Aubrey three years ago and the girl eventually having to forcefully push him off of her.

Beca always said she never understood why they were still friends, but it had something to do with Jesse and the guy having a long history.  

“I didn’t cheat.” Beca shoots back, and Chloe wonders why she’s even still trying to defend herself. “I just- it didn’t work for us anymore.”

The guy takes another step closer, and this time, Beca has finally had enough. She places a hand on his chest and applies just the tiniest bit of pressure, trying to get him away from her.

“Alright, listen,” Beca says, and Chloe wonders why she’s the only person watching this, why she’s the only one (besides Amy) who seems to be worried about what might happen here. “I know that you’re upset, but this was just the best for both of us, and I’d really like to stop talking about it and hang out with my friends now.”

Asshole guy shakes his head. “What, so you can make out with your new boyfriend, bitch?”

Beca has had enough, clearly. She pushes him away once again. “It’s not even a guy, asshole.”

She can’t see his face, but by the way his body freezes she knows that Beca just made a huge mistake.

“Oh, you gotta be  _fucking_ kidding me!” He surges forward then.

Chloe doesn’t exactly know what happened.

If you ask her later she can’t quite recall what she did exactly.

But she’s between Beca and Steve (she remembers his name now) in two steps, pressing herself up against Beca so that she can keep some distance between her and Steve. Then, she’s looking at him with anger that she has never shown to anyone, her fist balling.

“You better shut up  _right now_.” She hisses.

He just laughs, dryly. “Or what? You’ll punch me? You’re not even that taller than her.”

Her fist collides with the side of his face not two seconds later.

Hard.

And it hurts, but it hurts him more, which is good.

He’s drunk, and she hit him pretty hard, so the blow against his cheek is enough to make him fall over, landing on his butt. Luckily, others have caught on by now on what is going on, and hold him back when he tries to get back up on his feet.

“Go.” Amy says, turning back to look at Chloe and Beca, who are still standing pressed up against each other, with Chloe’s hands spread out protectively to keep Beca away from him. “We’ll take care of this.”

Chloe is unable to move for a second, frozen from shock, although she can feel the throbbing pain in her knuckles starting to get worse.

“Chlo.” Beca says softly behind her, sounding more sober than ever, “Let’s go. We have to get your hand checked out.”

She wonders how Beca can worry about her in that moment, when it’s Beca they should be worried about.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding.”

She hadn’t realized, but yeah, there’s blood dripping down her knuckles and fingers onto the floor.

“Oh.” She’s still too shocked to do anything else than stare at her hand. She finally turns around after a good thirty seconds and meets Beca’s eyes for the first time.

There’s a soft smile on her face, somehow.

“Come on, I want to help you. Please just come back to the house with me.”

She does.

* * *

Beca makes her sit down on the kitchen counter, with the brunette taking a seat on the bar stool in front of it.

She doesn’t want Chloe to bleed on the couch, and this way she’s at a better height.

Chloe stares at her as Beca places a wet cloth against her hand, making her flinch for a second.

“Sorry.” Beca says sheepishly, looking up to meet Chloe’s eyes.

“I’m fine. Are you okay?”

Beca smiles. “Yeah, I’m fine. He’s just a jerk, and drunk. Thanks for saving my ass. I can’t believe you did that. Seriously, Chlo.”

Chloe chuckles at that. “I don’t know what came over me. I just- I was so  _mad_.”

“You looked good doing it.” Beca admits, and Chloe can’t help but smile when she notices the small blush on her cheeks.

The brunette then reaches for some Neosporin and gently starts applying it on her knuckles while Chloe tries not to flinch too much.

It stings, but seeing Beca like this, and having her take care of her makes it  _definitely_ worth it.

“Did you mean what you said?” She asks after they’ve been quiet for a little bit.

“Mean what?” Beca keeps her gaze on Chloe’s hand, stroking her knuckles softly.

“You know what, Bec.”

The stroking stops for a second, before Beca picks up the rhythm again, making sure not to apply pressure to Chloe’s wound but to gently massage the skin around it. Then, she starts pressing her fingers into Chloe’s palm, massaging the rest of her hand.

Chloe closes her eyes for a second, leaning her head slightly back and just enjoying the moment.

“Yes.” Beca finally says after a few minutes, and for a split second she almost forgot what she had asked her.

_Almost._

Chloe looks down on her, suddenly nervous. “It’s not something you said just to uh- to get rid of him or something?”

“Yeah, because admitting that I’m actually really gay is a sure way not to get punched in the face.” She says sarcastically, but Chloe has gone silent.

“Bec-“

“Sorry. That was too much, wasn’t it? I’m sorry. I uh- don’t worry about it, you know. It’s totally fine anyway, she doesn’t even like me so I-”

Chloe reaches down to cup Beca’s cheek, then pulls slightly to get her to meet her halfway, while she leans down and presses her lips against the brunette’s.  

She applies just the tiniest bit of pressure, but then notices that Beca isn’t kissing her back.

Instantly, she pulls away, letting go of Beca’s chin in the process.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Beca, I’m  _so_ sorry. I should never have assumed it was me. I’m such an idiot, I-“

“Chlo, Chloe. Calm down.” Beca says, trying to reach for her uninjured hand.

Chloe shakes her head.

“No, Beca. I’m just as bad as that guy.”

Suddenly, and without any real warning, Beca stands up, now slightly taller than Chloe. She puts her own hand on the redhead’s cheek and wipes away a stray tear.

Then, she leans forward and presses a kiss of her own against Chloe’s lips. Soft, gentle, reassuring.

When she pulls back, Chloe just stares at her, her mouth hanging open in shock.

“It’s you, Chloe.”

“It is?”

Beca chuckles. “Yeah, of course it’s you.”

“For how long?”

The brunette shrugs then, her thumb still stroking Chloe’s cheek. “Probably since I met you, but I didn’t realize it. Not until recently.”

Chloe nods, another tear falling down her cheek as she does so.

“Why are you crying?” Beca asks softly.

Finally, she smiles. “I just can’t believe that you like me too. I’ve been in love with you for the better part of the last three years.”

Now Beca is the one who’s staring at her in shock. “I- I never knew.”

Chloe cocks an eyebrow. “Really? You don’t think me barging into your shower was weird? Or the fact that I only ever want to sit next to you? Or help you with choreography when you don’t need it? Or maybe the fact that I suggested we should ‘experiment’ together.” She uses her hands to make air quotes when she says the last part.

Beca rolls her eyes playfully. “I mean, yeah, but I didn’t think it meant anything. I thought that you did that stuff with everyone.”

The redhead laughs softly, using her good hand to grab Beca by the collar of her black top and pull her closer to her. “You’re an idiot.”

“Maybe,” Beca answers, “But I can be  _your_ idiot, if you want me to.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She kisses her softly. “Idiot.”

“Weirdo.”

Chloe leans forward once more, this time deepening the kiss quickly. Beca wraps an arm around her neck, pushing herself forward until most of their bodies are flush against each other, with her now standing between the redhead’s legs.

“Fuck.” Beca curses as Chloe’s hand falls down to her chest, softly squeezing the flesh she finds there.

Beca lets her own hand fall down to Chloe’s thigh, slowly moving up and up. Chloe moans into the kiss, which only spurs Beca further on as she starts softly massaging the other girl’s thigh.   
  
Somehow, Chloe finds the strength within herself to pull back.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Bec? You and Jesse  _just_ broke up.”

She nods. “Yes, Chloe. In fact, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Plus, seeing you punch that guy kinda made me all hot and bothered.” She sort of half winks at her, then blushes at her own awkwardness. Chloe just smiles and places a soft kiss on her lips.

“Good, because I need to get my hands all over you. Or well, hand, I guess.”

Beca shakes her head. “Not today, Chloe. Let me take care of you now.”

Chloe wants to argue, but when Beca starts kissing her neck and her hand starts trailing further up her thigh, she suddenly forgets what she wanted to say in the first place.

For a second she thinks Beca might just have her way with her right then, right there, but suddenly the brunette’s hands wrap around her waist and she pulls her closer until Chloe can wrap her legs around the other girl’s body.

She’s surprised by how easy it seems to be for Beca to carry her, she isn’t even breathing harder.

Beca places a soft kiss on her neck as she frees one hand to push open the door of Chloe’s bedroom, then slowly lowers the other woman down onto the bed.

Beca is on top of her not two seconds later, placing kisses on her lips and her neck, and then down to her collarbones.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” The younger girl asks, watching as Chloe slightly flinches when she tries to use her right hand.

“Keep doing what you’re doing and I will be, Bec.”

Beca laughs softly as moves her mouth back up to meet Chloe’s, instantly deepening their kiss. It’s hot, and desperate, and she needs more  _now._

But then she feels Chloe smile into the kiss, and she slows down.

She doesn’t have to hurry, it doesn’t need to be desperate and rushed.

They have all the time in the world now.

“I love you.” She mumbles against Chloe’s lips, her own lips curling into a grin when she feels Chloe’s smile widen against her.

“I love you too Beca.”

* * *

Chloe Beale isn’t violent.

She  _will,_ however, protect the people she loves.

And she loves Beca Mitchell most of all.


	19. High School AU - M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _can you write something about Beca leaving home and Chloe comforting her?_  
>  Also part of this prompt: _back again about that Bechloe prompt! Its more like Beca feels like she cant live in her house anymore cause of family in general (idm if its like her dad or if you write in siblings or anything), preferably set in an AU, either High School or Barden (but Beca lived close enough so she didn’t move into dorms) Thank you so much for having a look at the prompt <3 _
> 
> Rating: M
> 
> warnings for suggested abuse

Today marks the fourth week in a row that Chloe has seen her running around on the soccer field on Wednesday’s after school.

She  _knows_ it’s not allowed. She knows because she’s on the team and they’re not even allowed to hang out there after practice (with the exception of her, because she’s the captain).

She used to come here to be by herself, to get some extra time to work on her own skills after everyone else had left.

It was the only time of the day when she felt like she could truly be who she wanted to be. She wasn’t just the ‘pretty popular girl’, guys weren’t drooling all over her and friends weren’t annoying.

She could just be Chloe Beale, the girl who liked to play soccer.

Lately, though, that had been disturbed by another girl that was currently kicking around a ball on the field.

She knows who she is, kind of. She’s seen her around at school.

“Oh. Hey.” The other girl suddenly says, and Chloe realizes she’s been staring at her for the last ten minutes. “I’m sorry. I uh- I know that this is your team’s field. I just- I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were here.”

Something about her being so apologetic makes her feel guilty for even wanting her to leave in the first place.

“No, it’s okay,” She answers, an easy smile on her face as she steps onto the field herself. Then, as she gets closer to the other girl, she holds out her hand. “I’m Chloe.”

The girl laughs. “Yeah, I know. I’m Beca.”

So  _that’s_ her name. Chloe’s been wondering.

“Nice to meet you. So, any chance you wanna practice together?”

Beca gapes at her. “Are you serious dude? You’re like.. you’re the captain of your team. I’m not- I don’t even play.”

Chloe just smiles. “You do just fine, Beca.”

She cocks an eyebrow then. “Have you been watching me?” She’s obviously teasing, but Chloe can’t help but blush a little.

“I mean, maybe just a little. After all, you  _have_ been stealing the field from me.”

“Sorry. I just- I didn’t notice you before and I figured if nobody was here it wouldn’t matter that much.”

“Stop apologizing, it’s fine. It might be good for me, to actually practice with someone else one on one.”

Beca grins at her. “Well, if you’re sure.”

“Yeah. Let’s play.”

* * *

 

**_A week later_ **

“Hey.” Chloe says as she walks onto the field, holding the ball underneath her arm. “Back again?”

Beca turns around and smiles at her, wearing her regular gym clothes while Chloe sports the team’s soccer uniform. “Yeah. I uh- those tips you gave me really helped. But I’m fine with just sitting on the bleachers and watching you if you wanna practice or something.”

There’s a small silence between them, and Chloe can tell that she feels awkward. “Or, you know, I can go. I’m sure you have other people to hang out with or something. Or, a boyfriend waiting for you.”

Chloe shakes her head, smiling broadly at the other girl. “No. Definitely no boyfriend and I really enjoyed helping you out last week. So, get ready because I kind of stayed up late yesterday coming up with some stuff I could teach you and I think it could really help you out.”  

Beca just stares at her, her mouth hanging open in shock. “You stayed up thinking about how you can help  _me_?”

Chloe’s smile widens even more, if possible. “Yes!” She says happily, “of course.”

Beca can’t quite believe that Chloe Beale, seriously Chloe  _fucking_ Beale, wants to help her. She doesn’t even dare to look at her when she passes her in the hallway. She’s not worthy of looking at her.

Chloe is extremely popular, and smart, and also a junior in high school, which is a year above her.

And besides all of that, she’s  _beautiful_.

And painfully straight.

Well, not that she knows for sure but she did date that guy Tom for a while and then there’s these other guys always hanging around her and practically drooling all over her.

So yeah, definitely not into her.

But still, Chloe is here. She could be anywhere else, doing anything else, but yet, she’s here and she wants to help her. Again.

“Oh. Okay.” She says, not realizing how not enthused she sounds until she sees the smile slipping from the other girl’s face.

“We don’t have to. If you just want to practice by yourself that’s cool. The field is big enough for the both of us.”

Immediately, Beca starts waving her hand, trying to let her know that’s not what she meant. “No, no. I uh- I’d love to, actually.”

“Good. Then let’s get started.”

* * *

She’s exhausted by the end of it.

But it’s a good kind of exhausted.

It’s the kind of exhausted that made her forget what she’s getting home to later today. The kind of exhausted that made her just tired enough that she knows she’ll be able to sleep right away when she gets there. She can skip dinner another evening, it will be okay.

“You did great today.” Chloe says as she walks next to Beca as they make their way over towards the parking lot, both still panting a little with sweat dripping down their foreheads.

“Thanks. And thank you for helping me, again.”

“No sweat.” Chloe answers, as she leans over and slightly nudges Beca’s elbow with her own.

The brunette sort of flinches away from her, making her wonder if she doesn’t like physical contact. She thought she’d seen it before too, when Chloe had tried to help her stabilize after almost falling over. She’d insisted that she was fine and regained her balance on her own.

They reach Chloe’s car, and Beca awkwardly stops next to it, watching as Chloe unlocks the car and starts loading her stuff into the back.

“Well uh, I’ll just see you around then, I guess?” She shrugs and starts to walk away, but Chloe calls her back.

“Beca, wait!”

The brunette turns around on her heels, facing Chloe again with a curious expression on her face.

“What’s up?”

“Do you- would you like this to become a regular thing? I mean, I don’t know if you’re actually considering about trying out for the team next season, but I think that with some more practice you could definitely make it. You’d be a great asset.”

Her eyes widen. “Are you serious right now?”

“Yes, Beca. You’re better than you think.”

She smiles. “Uh- do you- I could pay you, you know. I know this is a lot of work for you. I mean, I don’t have that much but I’m pretty good at math. Not saying you’re not but I could always help out if-“

“Beca.”

“Yeah.”

“You don’t need to pay me, idiot. I know you don’t think so, but this is actually really helpful for me too.”

Her lips curl into a tight smile. “It is?”

“Yes. Plus, we’re friends now, and I’m actually really enjoying herself.”

“We’re friends?”

Chloe rolls her eyes and chuckles. “Yes, Beca, we’re friends, stop saying that like it’s some kind of miracle. I’m actually a person, you know? I know what everybody says about me. But the truth is, they don’t even know me. This-” she gestures towards the field behind her, “The person I am out there?  _That’s_  me.”

Beca smiles, understanding. She might not have to deal with that exactly, but she does know how hard it is to pretend to be something (or someone) that you’re not.

“Okay then. Do you, do you want to exchange numbers or something? In case one of us is late or needs to cancel or something?”

Chloe nods. “Yeah, that’s smart.”  She reaches for Beca’s phone and enters her number, then hands over her own phone and watches as Beca does the same.

“Great. I’ll see you next week then?”

“See you next week, idiot.” Chloe says teasingly before getting into her car and driving off.

* * *

**_5 weeks later_ **

“Oh my god, Bec! I can’t believe you got the ball past me! I’m  _so_ proud of you!” Chloe says as she runs up to the other girl, dropping the ball down to the ground as she gets closer.

Beca is smiling at her, clearly proud of herself. “Told you I’d get it once, Chlo. Before you know it, I’ll be beating your ass.”

“Don’t get cocky now.” Chloe shoots back, then leans forward to wrap her arms around Beca.

She can feel the other girl freeze in her arms, and she immediately knows she’s made a mistake. She forgot about it.

She’s such an idiot.

“Sorry.” She says softly, pulling back from the hug.

“No uh- it’s uh- It’s fine. I’m sorry. I just-“ Beca ducks her head down, avoiding her gaze. Carefully then, she places a hand on Chloe’s arm and gives it a squeeze. “I’m weird. Sorry.”

Chloe put her own hand on top of Beca’s, assuming it’s okay to do so when Beca doesn’t pull away from her. “No, Beca. Don’t apologize for that. You’re not weird. I’m sorry too, I can be a little forward sometimes.”

Beca finally dares to look up, smiling softly when she sees that Chloe really isn’t mad at her at all. “Thanks, Chlo.”

Chloe gives Beca’s hand one final squeeze before letting go and picking up the ball again. “Well, as much as I’d like to go again and get my revenge for that goal, I should really go home. It’s getting late and my mom says she saved dinner for me.”

Beca nods. “Yeah, I should go home too.”

They make their way over towards the parking lot, with Beca again hovering by Chloe’s car. It’s something she always does, and Chloe wonders why.

“How are you getting home?” She asks, suddenly wondering if there is a reason why Beca waits for her (besides saying goodbye).

“Oh.” Beca shrugs, kicking away a small rock with her foot, “I usually just walk.”

“What? Why? How far do you live?” Chloe says frantically.

Beca just laughs. “It’s fine. I only live about twenty minutes from school. It’s not that far.”

“Beca. It’s pretty cold out, plus it’s later than normal and it will be dark soon. Can’t you call someone to pick you up?”

She shakes her head. “No, I’ll be fine. Get home safe, Chloe.”

The redhead just rolls her eyes. “Yeah, no, that’s not happening. I’m driving you.”

Beca tries to get away from her, but Chloe is not having it. She has already reached for Beca’s workout bag and her soccer ball, putting them in the trunk of the car before slamming it shut and sitting down on it. If she can’t physically drag Beca into the car she can at least take her stuff.

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

She gets in the car, of course.

Chloe lets Beca pick the music on their way to Beca’s house, which turns out to be only a ten-minute drive from school, and five minutes from her home. It’s basically on her way anyway, which seems to help Beca feel less guilty about ‘making Chloe drive her’.

She learns something else too. Beca has good taste in music.

And a lovely voice.

She’s leaning her head against the window and singing softly, so quiet she almost can’t hear it.

“I didn’t know you could sing.” She then says, making Beca whip her head around to stare at the side of her face.

“I don’t sing.”

Chloe laughs. “Well, you’re really good. I thought you should know.”

Beca rolls her eyes, but doesn’t say anything else. She just leans her head against the window and starts softly singing again.

She smiles when Titanium comes on next, and when the chorus starts she joins in with Beca, surprised at how beautifully their voices blend together. Beca seems to be taken aback too, turning around to look at her now and singing a little louder.

“Wow.” The brunette says as the song ends and the car stops in front of her house.

“Yeah. Maybe we should just start playing soccer all together and start a band or something.” Chloe teases.

“Right, or an acapella group or something.”

Chloe laughs. “Definitely, strictly oral.”

“See, we have a name already.”

They’re both laughing then.

“I think I’m just going to stick with soccer for now.” Chloe says, turning around in her seat to face Beca fully.

“Me too.”

“So, next week. Same time?”

Beca nods. “Yeah. I’ll text you.”

Chloe grins at her. “Sounds good. I’ll see you around at school then.”

“See you.”

* * *

But she doesn’t.

Beca isn’t at school on Monday.

She knows because she has learned Beca’s schedule by heart now and she walked past her classes and her locker and she wasn’t there.

She also wasn’t at lunch.

**_Hey,  
Are you sick or something? I saw that you weren’t in school so I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay. Let me know if I can help with anything._ **

**_Xx_ **

She doesn’t get a text back.

Which is fine. Beca has a life of her own, friends of her own (she’s seen her hang around with Amy, and Chloe is pretty sure that Jesse guy is her boyfriend). She was just worried, is all.

* * *

When Wednesday comes around, she’s starting to  _really_  get worried.

She still hasn’t seen or heard from Beca.

Currently, she’s sitting on the bleachers of the field, staring at the time. Usually, they would have started their little practice about 10 minutes ago.

She opens their conversation up and sends Beca her 7th text of the day.

 **_Hey._ ** **_It’s me again._ ** **_I’m not mad, just so you know. I’m just a little worried where you are and if you’re okay._ ** **_Let me know when you get a chance to text me back._ ** **_xx_ **

Then, she adds:

**_Also, if you’re mad at me for something I did, I apologize._ **

She waits another ten minutes finally giving up. Beca isn’t going to be here.

She could just practice by herself, of course, but for some reason that doesn’t seem so appealing anymore.

So instead, she gets up and drives home.

* * *

Beca is not at school on Thursday, or Friday.

She also doesn’t text her back.

She’s seen Beca hanging around the park on the weekends before, (before they even started hanging out) but when she drives by on Saturday afternoon, the brunette isn’t there either.

Finally, on Monday, she’s decided she needs to ask someone, anyone.

So, despite her best friend Emma arguing with her she  _really_ shouldn’t talk to these people (because it could hurt her social status), she makes her way over towards Amy, one of Beca’s few friends.

“Hey.” She says awkwardly, leaning against a locker.

“Uh. Hi. Are you talking to me?” Amy asks, looking behind her to see if there’s someone there.

“Yeah.”

“Well, what do you need, ginger?”

Chloe raises her eyebrows, having not expected this. She’s not surprised Amy doesn’t like her, a lot of people don’t. Again, they also don’t really know her. Almost nobody does.

Except for Beca, of course.

“I uh- I was just wondering if you’ve heard from Beca. Or if Jesse has. Her uh- her boyfriend.” She gestures over to where Jesse is standing, talking to his friends not too far away from them.

Amy laughs. “Jesse’s not her boyfriend.”

“He’s not?”

“No, definitely not.” She laughs again, causing Chloe to frown.

“Why is it so weird that I thought that? They hang out  _all_ the time.”

“Because,” Amy starts, still chuckling, “Beca is gay.”

“Oh.”

“Is that like, not okay? Because I’ll punch you.”

“What? No! Of course it’s okay. I just didn’t know.”

Now it’s Amy’s turn to frown. “I thought you guys were like good friends or something?”

She shrugs. “I mean, we are. I just- I guess she didn’t feel comfortable sharing it.”

“Maybe she’s worried you’ll spread it around school. She doesn’t like people knowing.”

Chloe shakes her head. “No, she knows I’d never do that.”

“Well, anyway, she probably has her reason for not telling you, so… just don’t mention you heard it from me. Besides, why are you mad at her anyways?”

The redhead frowns. “I’m not mad at her, why would you think I’m mad at her? She’s the one who hasn’t been texting me back.”

Amy stares at her in confusion for a few seconds, then seems to understand what’s going on as her mouth drops open. “Oh! You don’t have her on Facebook, do you?”

Chloe shakes her head. “No I uh- I don’t check it that often. My friends just tag me in stuff.”

“Yeah, I don’t care about any of that. Anyways, Beca’s grounded. I don’t know why, she won’t tell me, but her dad took her phone away. She’s been sending you messages but she thought you were mad when you weren’t responding.”

Immediately, Chloe reaches for her phone and opens up the Facebook messenger app. Sure enough, there’s a whole lot of missed messages from Beca.

“Shit.”

“Yeah. That explains a lot.”

“I’ll uh- I’ll see you later, okay?” She says, walking away with her eyes already glued to her screen.

“Chloe!” Emma says as she walks past her locker, trying to get her stuff so that she can go sit in her car and read them. “I thought we were hanging out today?”

“Uh. I- not that I remember.” She responds, barely looking up to make eye contact with the cheerleader.

Emma just pinches her arm, causing her to yelp and look up. The blonde is just staring at her, her eyes widening slightly before gesturing over towards where Tom and Alex are standing.

“No, remember? We were  _all_ gonna go to the shopping mall together.”  

“Em,” She says softly, leaning in closely so that only Emma can hear her. “Me and Tom broke up a couple of weeks ago, you know that.”

“Yeah, but who cares? I like Alex, and you sleep around so much anyways that it doesn’t even matter.”

She stares at her in shock. Why did Emma even think that?

“Are you serious right now?”

“What, like it’s not true?”

Chloe shakes her head. “No, Emma, it’s not true. I’m going home. I’ll just- no. I won’t text you later. We’re done.” Her eyes move to where the guys are standing, staring them down. “Have fun.”

Five minutes later, she’s finally in her car, instantly opening up the conversation again.

  


Chloe felt her heart clenching painfully in her chest. She can’t believe that Beca has been sending her all of these messages and she’s totally missed them. Especially because Beca seems to be doing horribly.

She scrolls down to the last couple of messages.

She doesn’t know what to do.

She wants to send her something, but nothing will come even close to what she really wants to say, wants to do.

She needs to see her.

So without thinking about it for too much longer, Chloe Beale starts her car and makes her way over towards Beca’s house.

It’s a little after 5:30 when she rings the doorbell.

She vaguely hears someone shouting something before footsteps appear to be coming closer.

Suddenly, the door is pulled open, and there is Beca.

“Shit.” The brunette curses, stepping outside and closing the door almost completely shut behind her. “What- fuck.”

“Who is it?” She can hear someone yelling at her, presumably her dad.

“Uh. Just a package for the neighbors. They need me to sign for it.”

“Alright. But hurry up!”

Beca doesn’t answer, instead turns her attention back to Chloe. “You  _really_ can’t be here.”

“Beca-“ Her eyes then move down to Beca’s bare arm, noticing the bruise. “What the hell happened?”

The brunette places a finger in front of her mouth, shushing her. “Chloe, please. I need you to leave.”

“I can’t leave you like this.” She gestures towards the door. “Please tell me what happened.”

She shakes her head. “I can’t.”

“Is it because you’re mad at me? Bec, I’m  _so_ sorry. I didn’t get your messages, I promise. I’ve been texting you like crazy but I didn’t know you didn’t have your phone until Amy told me and I never check Facebook.”

“I’m not mad at you, Chloe. I just- I can’t talk right now.”

Chloe feels tears starting to appear in her eyes. She had no idea how bad Beca’s situation was. “Is this- is this why you always hang out at school?”

Beca nods. “Yeah.”

“What in the hell is taking so long?” Beca’s father shouts, and Chloe notices her body stiffening.

“I’ll leave. I’m sorry. Can we- can we talk tonight? On Facebook, I mean?”

“Yeah. We’ll talk.”

Chloe wants to reach out, wants to hug her, but she knows Beca probably doesn’t want that right now. She settles for placing a hand on her arm, just below the bruise, her thumb stroking softly over the slightly purple flesh.

“It’s going to be okay, Beca.”

“I know.”

* * *

**_Almost a week later_ **

* * *

After Chloe stopped by Beca’s house last week, they’ve been talking non-stop for almost every minute of every day. Thank god for Beca’s foster dad not knowing she can do more than just studying on her laptop.

That’s another thing she learned, him being her foster father. She didn’t know that, and apparently, not a lot of people did. Beca had been placed with him and his wife when she started high school, and it had been nothing but trouble since. The wife was okay, but never home. The man was horrible to her.

Unfortunately, she was older, and the system was already messed up enough. There was no way to find another home for her, not this close to her 18th birthday, meaning she also couldn’t leave yet.

Although, her birthday was only a month from today, and the brunette couldn’t wait to get out of the house.

First things first though; Beca was at school tomorrow, and she was going to actually get to hug her this time.

Plus, she has a little surprise for her.

* * *

Chloe had to wait the entire school day before she got to see Beca.

They had promised to meet on the soccer field after school, where they’d usually practice around this time. Of course, Emma had complained, and said that she needed to hang out with her, but Chloe couldn’t care less about her.

Not after what had happened last week. Plus, she’d been kind of done with the other girl’s bullshit for a while now. It was probably good that it was over.

She was currently sitting on the bleachers, sipping on a juice pack, when she noticed a small brunette making her way over towards her, waving awkwardly.

“Becs!” She was on her feet not a second later, sprinting towards her as fast as she could.

Their bodies collided against each other, Beca letting out a gasp as the air was knocked out of her lungs.

“Chloe.” She said when her lungs filled themselves up again.

For a second, Chloe thought she was going to pull back, or flinch away from her. But then, she surprised her by wrapping her own arms tightly around Chloe’s waist while she buried her head in the crook of the other girl’s neck.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

Chloe smelled like sweat, her skin still a little sticky after her soccer practice, but Beca couldn’t care less. In fact, she kind of liked it. She really just loved to see Chloe in her outfit, with her hair in a ponytail and a broad smile on her face.

“I can’t stay though.” Beca says as she reluctantly pulls back. “Adam will freak out if I’m not home in the next thirty minutes.”  

Chloe nods, but then reaches to grab Beca’s hand, intertwining their fingers.

“I uh- I needed to talk to you about that.”

The brunette frowns, finding it odd that Chloe isn’t meeting her eyes. She’s never seen her nervous before, or uncomfortable, and it’s weird.

“Chloe, are you okay? Do you- do you want me to go?”

She squeezes Beca’s hand. “Of course not, idiot. In fact, that’s kind of the last thing that I want.”

Beca can feel herself blushing. Shit. She hates this. She hates the fact that somewhere along the way (or maybe all along) she developed a crush for the other girl. Chloe is such a good friend, and she doesn’t want to ruin what they have.

“I- I don’t think I have a choice. I mean, I can maybe push it a little bit, maybe he won’t notice but-“

“Bec.”

She’s quiet.

“What if,” Chloe starts, finally looking up, “and please don’t get mad, okay? But what if I told you that you don’t have to go back.”

Beca frowns. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

Chloe takes a deep shuddering breath. “I just had to do something, Beca. I’m sorry but I can’t bear the idea of you living in that house like that. I know you turn 18 in a month but I- I care about you so much.”

“You do?” Beca can’t help but ask, smiling softly at her.

“Yeah, Beca, I really do. Anyway, I uh- I talked to my mom. She’s a lawyer and she said that if I take you home with me she’ll be able to help you out and start a case against him. She’s pretty sure we’ll win, but either way, it will allow you to be out of the house for at least a month, long enough for you to turn 18.”

Beca opens her mouth to say something, but Chloe just holds up her hand, silently telling her to wait.  

“Of course you wouldn’t have to pay for anything. My mom wants to do this for you, for the both of us. Amy and Jesse went to your place during lunch break today, and they picked up most of your stuff. It’s actually sort of in my car right now. So, I don’t want to pressure you, and I’d understand if you feel uncomfortable or something, but if you want we can go right now. Also-“

Before she gets a chance to say anything else, Beca’s arms wrap around her neck once more, pulling her flush against her. She can feel the brunette’s tears dripping down on her shoulder, only making her hold her a little tighter.

“Is that a yes?” She asks, her own voice a little shaky.

“Yes, Chloe.” Beca says, pulling back and showing Chloe the biggest smile she’s ever seen. “I can’t believe you did this for me.”

“I’d do anything for you, Beca. I know you think that you’re just another person in my life, but it’s not true. You’re the only one who really knows me, which makes you extremely important to me.”

Beca wipes a few tears away. “And you’re sure your parents won’t mind?”

Chloe shakes her head. “No, in fact, my mom has already asked me what I think your favorite food is so that she can make it for all of us tonight. And dad wanted to know if you like watching sports as much as he and I do.”

Beca laughs then, still not quit believing this is actually happening. “What about Amy and Jesse? How did they-“

“I approached them. They were more than willing to help, of course. Amy apparently had a key made to your house, just in case, and Jesse helped with loading everything into my car and driving it back to the school.”

“I can’t believe you guys did this for me.”

Chloe just smiles at her. “Of course, Beca. So, are you ready to come home with me?”

“Yes,” She says, not able to hold back her smile even if she wanted to.

* * *

“Your mom is an amazing cook.” Beca says, a few hours later.

Chloe’s parents had welcomed Beca into their house as if it was the most normal thing ever. They didn’t even mention the whole ‘foster’ situation, just said that they’d talk about the important stuff tomorrow. Today was a day for relaxing and just spending time together. Beca needed to rest, and get settled.

She couldn’t believe how lucky she got.

She had felt some tears in her eyes during dinner, but when Chloe had grabbed her hand underneath the table and gave it a soft squeeze she had felt a million times better already.

She could handle everything with Chloe by her side.

Beca is currently sitting awkwardly on the corner of her bed, trying not to stare at Chloe while she gets ready for bed.

Chloe looks at Beca through her mirror’s reflection. “Yeah, she really is.”

“Don’t worry,” Chloe says, noticing how uncomfortable Beca seems to be feeling. “Mom is going to get your guest room ready by tomorrow, for sure. I hope you don’t mind sharing the bed tonight?”

Beca shakes her head. “No uh,” She clears her throat, “I don’t mind.”

“Wanna tell me then why you’re all freaked out?”

“I’m not freaked out.”

Chloe cocks an eyebrow, watching as Beca fidgets with her hands while Chloe pulls her shirt over her head and changes into her pajamas.

“Fine. I’m a little freaked out.”

“Is it Adam, because-“

“No, no, it’s not that. I know I’m safe.”

“Good.”

“It’s just that- no, you know what, forget I ever said anything.”

Chloe, having a feeling where this is going, sits down on the bed next to Beca and reaches for one of her hands. “Please tell me Beca.”

The brunette just shakes her head. “No. I can’t. Because I’m afraid you’ll hate me and this is possibly the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I can’t screw that up.”

Chloe feels her heart clenching in her chest. Seeing Beca in pain like this is one of the hardest things.

“Beca. Bec, please look at me.” The redhead places a finger under Beca’s chin, finally getting her to look at her.

She wants to ask her, urge her to tell her, she wants to tell her herself.

There’s a lot of words right now, all wanting to come out at the same time and she doesn’t know what to say or ask first.

So instead, she just says nothing.

She leans forward and captures Beca’s lips with her own.

It’s a soft kiss, lasting no longer than just a few seconds.

“What- what are you doing?”

“I  _know_ , Beca. And it’s okay. In fact, it’s more than okay.”

“You- you’re-“

“I’m bisexual. I also have a crush on you, if that’s what you were wondering.”

Beca’s eyes widen in shock at first, but then, a soft smile starts to grow on her lips. A smile that only continues to grow until the brunette leans in again and presses her lips against Chloe’s once more.

This kiss is a little firmer, both of them now sure that they want this. Chloe brings her hand up to cup Beca’s cheek, while Beca’s hand rests on her hip.

Chloe then traces Beca’s bottom lip with her tongue, the brunette instantly welcoming her into her mouth. She moans into the kiss, only spurring Chloe on more, who now moves her other hand to Beca’s waist, using her grip to slowly push her down onto the bed so that Beca is laying down with the redhead half on top of her.

“Is this okay?” Chloe asks, still aware of Beca’s issues with touching and personal space.

“Yeah, more than okay. But uh- what about your parents? I uh- I don’t want them to kick me out.”

Chloe smiles, understanding. “They know. I mean, they know I like you. It’s part of the reason why they wanted to help out so much.”

“So they’re- they’re fine with this?”

“I mean, I’m sure they wouldn’t love to hear in detail about how you just had your tongue in my mouth, but yes. They want me to be happy, and you as well.”

Beca chuckles softly. “Good, because I don’t think I can stop kissing you.”

“Then don’t.”

Their lips find each other’s again, and Beca realizes that for the first time in her life she’s truly happy. She knows the next month (and probably even the time after that) is going to be hard. But now she has Chloe, and Chloe’s family, and her friends, and she knows they’ve got her back.

Whatever happens, she’ll be okay.

More than okay, if Chloe keeps kissing her like that.

Whatever happens, she’ll be okay.

More than okay, if Chloe keeps kissing her like that.

* * *

**_Two years later_ **

  
  
  



	20. The Milkshake - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Can you do a prompt that Chloe or maybe Beca ate something and had a tummy ache? Something fluffy and comforting. love all of your fics, I always check if you got new updates!!_
> 
> Warnings: extreme fluff, proceed with caution.
> 
> Rating: T (for language only)

Beca’s sitting on one of the barstools that they have around their kitchen counter. She’s skipped her last class of the day, and she has a rare day off from her internship, which actually for once gives her some time to work on her own stuff while the Bellas are all gone.

Not that she doesn’t like having them around, in fact, she kind of really loves them being there (definitely not something she’d ever admit).

However, it just makes it a little hard to concentrate with them always being there.

For some reason, someone was always yelling, or burning food, or poking her in her sides (mostly Chloe) or just making a mess in general.

Lately, there have also been more pillow fights, which is just too much for her.

She is  _not_ that kind of person.

Beca gets lost in the trance of her work, the music blasting through her headphones. It’s so loud that she doesn’t even hear it when the front door opens and closes.

So, when someone enters her field of vision all of the sudden, she kind of loses it and almost falls off the barstool.

“Jesus Christ dude!” She yells as she tries to regain her balance.

“Beca?”

“Yeah, what the hell are you doing home, Chloe?”

The brunette stares at her best friend as she puts her purse on the counter, then leans on it. It’s a bit odd, but Beca assumes she’s tired from her school day.   
  
“What are  _you_ doing home?” Chloe fires back, although it lacks the power she’s looking for. Instead, it comes out a little weak.

“I skipped class.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Beca frowns as she watches the smile slip from Chloe’s face.

“What? Is that like- not okay? I live here too, you know.”

The redhead shakes her head. “No, Bec, of course it’s fine. I’m just- I’m gonna go to my room, okay?”

She narrows her eyes then, finding her friend’s behavior suspicious. Beca watches as Chloe slowly makes her way over towards her room, getting up when she sees her friend clutch her stomach.

“Chloe.”

She doesn’t respond.

Beca is up from her seat and next to her friend within a matter of seconds, putting a hand on her lower back. “Chlo, what the hell? Are you okay?”

Cloe just nods, but Beca can see the color draining from her face. “I’m fine.”

“You’re clearly not fine. What happened? Is it- you know?” Beca asks, for some reason finding it awkward to ask her about her menstruation.

“No Bec. I’m not on my period.” Chloe shoots back, turning her head slightly to glare at her.

The brunette rolls her eyes. “Well, what’s wrong then?”

Chloe shakes her head and tries to stand up a little straighter, making her way over towards her bedroom. “Please, Becs. I’ll be alright.”

“See, normally,” Beca says, “I’d love to walk away from this, because it looks like this is going to involve talking and touching and you know I run from that like Amy runs, or I guess doesn’t run, from Cardio. Or like Aubrey runs from unorganized gatherings of any kind, or Stacie from a normal sex life or-“

“Bec.”

“No I know, I know. I just wanted to lighten the mood. Anyway, you telling me to go away means I’m gonna have to stay. So, you better start telling me the truth and let me help.”

Chloe lets out a deep breath before finally looking at Beca. The brunette feels her heart clenching painfully in her chest when she notices the pain in her friend’s eyes.

“I had a milkshake.” She finally admits.

“Oh. Uh. Okay. Was it like poisoned or something? Because normally a milkshake is not supposed to make you look this bad, dude.”

Chloe manages a soft smile. “No I’m- I’m lactose intolerant.”

Finally, understands what’s happening. She also immediately understands why Chloe would probably not want her here right now, or anyone else.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go then.” Beca helps steady Chloe as she walks her over towards the bathroom.

“Beca.” Chloe tries to fight the hold Beca has on her, but she just shakes her head and helps her enter the room.

“No. This is happening. I used to have a friend too who had this and I know how bad it hurts. So, you just-“ she gestures in the general direction of the toilet, “do your thing, and I’ll be here waiting with some tea for when you get out.”

“You really don’t need to do this, Beca. This is probably not in the friendship book.”

Beca laughs. “Neither is getting naked in the shower together.”

Chloe sends her a soft smile, in too much pain right now to really laugh. But she does nod, and make her way into the bathroom.

“Wait.” Beca says, moving past her and turning on the bathtub. “I think you should take a quick bath after. The warmth will make you feel better for sure.” She turns on the water, a little warmer than she’d normally use, and pours some of her own expensive soap into the tub.

“Are you sure?” Chloe asks.

“Of course! You just relax, okay?”

The redhead smiles fondly at her. “Thanks, Bec.”

Beca leans forward then, placing a small kiss on her friend’s cheek. Her smile widens when she notices the slight blush on Chloe’s cheek when she pulls back.

“Yeah, you’re uh- you’re welcome.” She stammers, a little flustered herself.

* * *

 

When Chloe gets out of the bathroom forty minutes later, she can’t find Beca.

“Bec?” She calls out, walking into the kitchen to find it empty. Her stomach is feeling a little bit better, but it still hurts, and she’s sleepy too now.

“Chlo?” Beca responds, and Chloe is pretty sure she heard her voice coming from her own room.

“Yeah, where are you?”

Beca appears in the kitchen then, and Chloe can feel her heart stop momentarily at the sight of Beca Mitchell in her pajamas. She looks utterly adorable. She’s wearing Chloe’s favorite sweatshirt, along with some cute blue fluffy pants that Chloe herself had given Beca for Christmas. She’s taken her make-up off and her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, definitely not something she does often.

“Hey.” Beca says, “I figured I’d get comfortable too.”

“Yeah. Good idea.”

She grins. “You ready?”

“For what?”

“For an evening of relaxation with your very own personal nurse, of course.” Beca says, trying to wink at her but failing.

Chloe laughs at that, then clutches her stomach in pain. “Don’t make me laugh, Bec.”

“I wasn’t even trying to, I swear.”

Beca reaches out to grab her hand, and Chloe takes the opportunity to lace their fingers together. Beca isn’t a touchy-feely person, so she’ll take every chance the brunette offers, knowing it may be a while before she gets to do it again.

The brunette guides her into her own room, gasping when she sees what Beca has set up. Her bed is covered in extra blankets and pillows, so many that she’s pretty sure there aren’t any left in their entire house. There’s two mugs of steaming tea on either bedside table and Beca’s laptop is in the middle of the bed. She’s dimmed the lights, leaving only Chloe’s fairy lights above her bed to shine light into the room.

“Bec.”

“Sorry. I know it’s a little much, I just wanted to take care of you, for once.”

This time it’s Chloe who leans over to peck Beca’s cheek.

“It’s great. Thank you so much. Are you staying?”

She nods. “I mean, if you don’t mind. If you just want to be by yourself that’s okay too.”

Chloe shakes her head. “No, please stay.”

Beca smiles softly as she makes her way over towards the bed. “Alright so, we have special vanilla tea that should help with the pain, we have extra blankets, a hot water bottle to put over your stomach and, of course, a movie.”

“Bec, you hate movies.” Chloe says, a broad smile on her face. She can’t believe Beca did all this stuff for her.

“Yeah, but I don’t hate you.” She admits, blushing slightly.

“Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”

Beca just shrugs, the ducks her head down before making her way over towards the bed, settling down on what has become ‘her’ side of the bed during their many evenings spend together talking in Chloe’s bed. She pats Chloe’s side then, watching as the redhead makes her way over and slides underneath the blankets. She sighs contently, realizing she hasn’t felt this relaxed in a long time, despite her pain.

“Why did you have that milkshake anyway?” Beca asks and she watches Chloe flinch when she moves a little too fast to reach for her tea.

The older girl blushes. “BecauseIthinkmilkshakesaresoprettyandpink.”

“You what?” Beca asks, not sure she understood what Chloe just said.

Chloe sighs deeply, then repeats herself. “I drank it because it was pretty and pink.”

Beca can’t help it, she immediately bursts into laugher. “Chloe!”

“I know. You should probably just leave and let me suffer. This was my own fault.”

The brunette smiles. “Kinda, yeah, but I’m still gonna stay.”

“Don’t you have plans tonight? I thought you and Jesse-“

“I’m not going anywhere, Chlo. I’m good right here. Now, I pulled up Bridesmaids and we are gonna laugh and relax and drink some tea, okay?”

Chloe nods, feeling herself starting to tear up a little at her friend’s uncharacteristically sweet behavior. “Okay. Also, did you choose Bridesmaids just because of that scene where they all get food poisoning in the Bridal store?”

Beca places a hand on her chest, putting on a fake smile. “I wanted you to have something to relate to.”

Chloe reaches for one of the pillows and uses it to smack Beca right across the face. “I hate you so much right now.”

“Yeah?” She asks, raising an eyebrow. “You sure about that? Because I can just leave and take the tea, blankets, hot water bottle, hugs-“

“There’s going to be cuddling?” Chloe interrupts, looking like a five-year-old who just got told they’re going to Disneyland.

“Well, not anymore.” Beca teases back, trying to stop the smile from forming on her face (and failing).

“I take it back! I take it back!” Chloe says, already pushing on Beca’s arm.

The younger girl pretends to fight it for another second or two longer before lifting her arm up and letting Chloe snuggle into her.

“Alright then,” she asks once Chloe is settled comfortably against her, “you ready?” The redhead nods, letting Beca start the movie.

* * *

 

It’s fine for a while. She’s comfortable and the tea and everything is great, it’s just that the water has become cold and the pain is back in full force. She doesn’t want to say anything, because Beca has already done more than enough, but the brunette seems to notice anyway.

She pauses the movie, then turns her head around to look at Chloe.

“It’s bad again, isn’t it?”

Slowly, she nods. “Yes. I’m sorry, Bec, I wasn’t gonna say anything.”

“Why?”

“Because this is perfect and you’ve already helped more than enough. The others will probably be home soon and you’ll want to be with them, so-“

“When have I ever just casually wanted to hang out with all of you?” Beca asks with an amused smile.

Chloe laughs then.

“If anything,” She adds, “This is just giving me a really good excuse not to be out there with them.”

“Are you sure?” Chloe asks, still feeling bad for making Beca do this. She knows how busy she’s been lately, with finalizing their performance for Worlds as well as dealing with her internship.

“Yes, Chloe. Now, what do you usually do when it’s this bad and you’ve tried everything else?”

Chloe thinks about it for a couple of seconds, before pulling the covers off her upper body and hoisting up her shirt.

“Dude, what-“ Beca starts, not sure what’s happening right now.

Then, Chloe places her own hand on her lower stomach, letting it rest there. “The warmth and contact sometimes helps.” She explains, starting to draw circles over her abs.

Beca’s eyes are glued to her movements. She can’t believe how amazing Chloe looks. Sure, she’s seen her stomach before, in the shower, and during practice, but those were just quick glances. Nothing like this. Chloe is toned, and although she knows she looks amazing too, she knows it’s not like  _this._

Suddenly, and without really thinking about it, she puts her cup of tea down (she’d gotten new ones not too long ago) and pushes Chloe’s hand out of the way before replacing it with her own. She can feel Chloe staring at her, and realizes she should probably give some kind of reason.

“I uh- I just had my mug, you know, so my hand’s all.. warm.”

Chloe smiles. “It feels great. Thanks, Bec.”

Beca continues playing the movie while her hand draws lazy patterns across Chloe’s abdomen. The redhead is now sitting upright while Beca rests her head on her shoulder, making it easier for her to stroke across Chloe’s stomach.

Somewhere along the movie, they fall asleep, with Beca laying half on top of her and Chloe’s head having fallen down onto Beca’s. They don’t even wake up when Amy bursts into Chloe’s room to call them for dinner, or when the other Bellas come in to stare at them, some of them taking pictures of the two of them wrapped up together in the bed.

* * *

 

When Beca wakes up about an hour later, the first thing she notices is that her neck is killing her. The second thing she notices is that she’s absolutely starving. The third thing she notices is that she’s wrapped around Chloe like a koala.

Instantly, she starts to remove herself, causing Chloe to let out a small groan. “Don’t go, Bec.”

“Why? Are you still in pain?”

She shakes her head, but still doesn’t open her eyes. “No. Just- comfortable.” She says, her voice laced with sleep.

It makes Beca smile. “Well, if you want, I can stay here with you tonight, but I want to eat something first and get my pajamas and everything.”

Finally, Chloe opens her eyes. “You’d do that?”

“I mean, yeah. Just you know, in case it starts to hurt again.” She says it with an easy shrug, trying to look casual (and failing, again).

“Of course. I mean, it makes sense.” Chloe responds, sitting up a little straighter and removing her arm from where it had been wrapped around Beca.

* * *

 

Later on, after they’ve had their food and hung out around the house for a little bit, Beca finally realizes she hasn’t checked her phone in hours. She’s been so focused on Chloe that she totally forgot about it. There’s a few texts from Jesse, which just make her roll her eyes in annoyance, and a whole bunch of new texts in their group chat.

It’s not the messages that make her stomach twist though, it’s the picture.

Someone (she assumes Amy) has changed their group picture into a picture of her and Chloe wrapped up together in Chloe’s bed just a few hours ago.

Then, there’s a whole bunch of texts that are basically a lot of #married and people talking about winning some kind of bet.

She’s storming off not two seconds later, Chloe following close behind while she unlocks her own phone.

“Who the fuck changed our group chat picture to me and Chloe?” Beca says as she makes her way into the family room.

“Oh shit. You’re in trouble.” Cynthia Rose says, her gaze moving between the two girls and fat Amy.

“It was legacy.” Amy answers, immediately pointing at the young girl, who just looks confused.

“Am I seriously supposed to believe that?”

“I swear I didn’t, Beca.” Emily says.

“I know that.”

“They also added a hashtag ‘married’ thing.” Chloe says, moving to stand behind Beca while she places a hand on her lower back for a quick second. Both girls then glare at their friends, unknowingly crossing their arms at the same time.

Immediately, everyone is laughing.

“What?” Beca asks, then turns around to see that Chloe is standing in exactly the same position. She rolls her eyes and uncrosses her arms, letting out a loud groan of annoyance.

“Fuck me.”

“Leave that to Chloe.” Amy responds, making Beca groan and turn away from her friends.

“Okay, I’m leaving. Bye.”

Chloe just chuckles and blushes, following Beca as she walks out of the room. “Hey honey,” She says as soon as they’re in the hallway, “What’s for dinner tomorrow?” She teases, laughing when Beca turns around glares at her.

“Seriously, Chlo? They’re not even here, and what would make you think that I would be the one doing the cooking if we were married?”

“Because I can’t cook.”

“And you think  _I_ can?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. I mean, you’d be my wife so I’d like to think you’d at least try.”

Beca uncrosses her arms then, instead opting to lean against the wall while she smiles at Chloe. “I mean, I think I already fulfilled my wife duties by taking care of you like that today. So really, it’s your turn.”

“Alright then,” Chloe says, taking a step closer and winking at Beca, “You wanna take a shower together, babe? I’ll wash your back and give you a massage. You know, just taking care of my wife and everything.”

“Jesus.” Beca mutters, ducking her head to hide her blush. “I’m going. I might even be moving out.” Still, though, the brunette walks into Chloe’s room, now carrying her pajamas under her arm and moving back to ‘her’ side of the bed. She can’t help but realize how domestic it all is, maybe they did have a point after all.

Chloe just smiles, unaware of the other Bellas listening and laughing along on the other side of the wall.

* * *

 

“I’m  _so_  going to win this bet.” Amy says. “Two weeks, at most.”

“I say they’ve been sleeping together this entire time.” Stacie adds, which earns a few laughs.

“Either way, they’ll be married in two years, for sure.” Is what Emily then says. “And I can’t wait.”

And that’s something they can all agree on.


	21. Don't tell Chloe - M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Prompt: Beca and Chloe secretly dating, Beca gets home really late (tired/drunk/something) and decides to visit Chloe but accidentally goes to the wrong room/bed!
> 
> Rating: M

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.. I don’t know what happened but I keep this list on my MacBook of my prompts and I wrote ‘hand on boobs’ for another prompt, but then I ended up writing including it in this one because I thought it was part of the same prompt, but it wasn’t. Anyway, it works, but I just wanted to give a reason about why this is so focused on the boob groping too haha.
> 
> As for the person who actually had included a ‘hand on boob’ part in their prompt, that will follow too, but in a different way.

_So.. I don’t know what happened but I keep this list on my MacBook of my prompts and I wrote ‘hand on boobs’ for another prompt, but then I ended up writing including it in this one because I thought it was part of the same prompt, but it wasn’t. Anyway, it works, but I just wanted to give a reason about why this is so focused on the boob groping too haha._

_As for the person who actually had included a ‘hand on boob’ part in their prompt, that will follow too, but in a different way._

She doesn’t like parties. She doesn’t do parties. Not ever. Except they just won worlds and Amy made a good point by saying this would probably be one of the last ones they would have together. Chloe had the good excuse of having her final test tomorrow, and she needed to pass in order to graduate with the rest of the Bellas. At first, Beca had toyed with the idea of staying with the redhead, but Chloe had quickly told her that probably wasn’t a good idea.

“No Beca, it would be suspicious if only you and I stay home. I have a valid excuse, you don’t.”

“Since when is wanting to stay home to make out with your girlfriend not a good excuse?”

Chloe chuckles softly, not really looking up from her book. “It is, but we can’t tell them that. Leaving only you not feeling like going as your excuse, and we both know Aubrey and Amy would kill you if you said that.”

The brunette sighs deeply, clearly not happy with the plan. “But I don’t wanna.”

“You sound like a small child.”

“But Chlo,” She wines, putting a hand on her girlfriend’s textbook, finally getting her to look at her. She pouts her lips, making Chloe roll her eyes, “if I stay home we could cuddle. I know how much you like cuddles.”

Beca knew this was the easiest way to bride Chloe into anything. Also - and although she would never admit this - she secretly loved her and Chloe’s ‘Cuddle evenings’. It was something that Chloe had come up with in the beginning of their relationship, when Beca was still a little unsure about physical contact. It was something Chloe respected, of course, but the brunette also knew how important it was for her to have that in a relationship. Chloe was already an affectionate person, even more so if she was in a relationship. So, when the redhead had suggested a weekly ‘Cuddle evening’ where they’d cuddle and talk and just watch movies, Beca couldn’t say no. It was the least she could do for her girlfriend. Now, she used ‘extra cuddle evenings’ as a way to bride Chloe on more than one occasion; the brunette hoping that her girlfriend hadn’t caught on yet that she was really starting to love their evenings together locked up in Chloe’s room. They only did them on Sundays, of course, when most of the Bellas were out or studying, not noticing that Beca was in the older Bella’s room the entire night.

“Beca, stop. You’re going. You have to. Plus, Amy is right, this really is going to be one of your last nights here.”

“But I wanna spend my last evenings with you.”

The redhead laughs again. “That would be romantic if I knew that you weren’t just saying that so you can lock yourself up in your room and work on your music.”

Beca smirks. “Well, maybe I’ll lock myself up in your room and you stare at me while I work on my music and give you occasional hugs and kisses.”

“As tempting as that sounds, I’m going to have to say no.” She then looks at her phone. “You better start getting ready, by the way, they’ll want to leave soon. Plus, you’ve been in here for too long already.”

Beca rolls her eyes, but pushes herself off the bed anyway. “Fine. But I’m expecting some serious action when I get back.”

That makes Chloe laugh out loud. “Bec, please, since when has there ever not been ‘serious action’ after one of us gets back from a party.”

“That’s true.” Beca says, and with that, she is out the door.

* * *

 

_5 Hours later_

She is tipsy. No, scratch that, she is drunk. Beca is really  _really_ drunk. But Aubrey is there, having sneaked into campus to join them for the party, and she is drunk too and more annoying than usually and then there is Jesse who had just decided to show up and make some kind of ridiculous comment that was supposed to be a joke about how he always knew Beca had a toner for Chloe. He then proceeded to ask her how many times she cheated on him with her during the course of their relationship, which was enough for her to give up on trying to stay sober at all. So after brushing Jesse off, she joined fat Amy, allowing her to make her one of her famous drinks (98% alcohol, really) before starting some kind of ridiculous dance-off with Stacie (she lost, of course. Although, it doesn’t feel fair to have Aubrey as a judge for that).

So, finally, around midnight they all decide to call it a night. Lily has thrown up multiple time, they lost Jessica (or Ashley?) and Stacie strained her ankle a couple of minutes ago. Just a regular night, really.

“Beca. Are you going to be okay?” Aubrey asks her as she follows the brunette into the house, holding onto her arm to steady her.

“What?” She slurs.

“I asked if you’re going to be okay. You could sleep with us, you know, we’re all sleeping in the family room downstairs.”

“I know. But uh- I uh- I’ll just sleep in my own bed.”

Aubrey smiles softly at her, even though she’s sure Beca won’t even notice it in her current state.

The blonde gives her a quick hug goodnight before watching Beca walking up the stairs up to her own room. She brushes her teeth and changes into her pajamas, then waits a little bit before heading downstairs. If she goes too soon, the other Bellas will definitely still be awake, and the door to the family room is right next to the door to Chloe’s room, and she really doesn’t want them to hear her.

Finally, after waiting about 20 minutes she makes her way downstairs slowly. She opens the door as quietly as she can and sneaks inside, finding it odd when she can’t quite find the bed at first. But then, she bumps into something and discovers it’s the bed. She climbs into it, lifting the covers and turning around to face the person lying next to her. It’s dark, so she can’t see anything, but she can hear Chloe’s steady breathing.

“Chloe?” She asks, but the other girl doesn’t answer her.

“Chloe I missed you so much.” She tries again, but there’s no response.

Finally, she decides to just take action. She lifts her hand and places it on her girlfriend’s chest, squeezing her boob.

It feels different, for some reason. Slightly smaller, maybe. But then again, Chloe doesn’t wear a bra to bed and the last time she touched her girlfriend’s breasts she was, in fact, wearing one, so maybe she’s just confused. Plus, she’s still drunk.

“Chlo, wake up.” She squeezes a little harder this time, and suddenly the other girl yelps and pushes her off of her and onto the floor. Or at least, that’s what she thinks at first until she realizes she’s fallen on top of another Bella, fat Amy to be clear, and suddenly everyone is awake and freaking out.

Shit.

“Beca, what the hell?”

“Aubrey?” She asks, now looking up to make eye contact with Aubrey who’s hovering above her from the small camping bed she’d brought for her visit. She also realizes this means that someone has turned on the light and goddamnit how could she have been this stupid.

“Yes. Aubrey indeed. What are you doing?”

“I-, I thought you were Chloe.” She stammers, her head spinning.

“That still doesn’t explain the groping.”

“Actually,” Amy interrupts, “It really does. Beca has had a toner for Chloe for years. Again, don’t totally agree with the approach. It’s a little direct, short stack. You need some work on that.”

“I can help you.” Stacie adds, nodding and smiling at her.

“Oh my god.” Beca lets her head fall down into her hands, letting it rest there for a second. She can’t believe this is actually happening to her.

“Me and Chloe are dating, guys. For a while. She’s uh- she’s my girlfriend. We were just keeping it secret.”

Suddenly, everyone is smiling and nodding in understanding.

“That makes so much more sense.”

“I still don’t love this.” Aubrey says, gesturing to her chest.

“Yeah. Sorry about that.”

“Anyway,” Beca then says, “I’m glad you’re all cool with this, but I should probably go over to her room, which is what I was trying to do in the first place.”

“Remember,” Aubrey adds while Beca stands, “These walls are very thin.”

“Right. I’ll try to make sure Chloe doesn’t scream my name too loud.”

Cynthia Rose bursts out into laughter at that, reaching up to give Beca a high five.

“She’s going to kill me.” She knows she’s still slurring her words, and she hates herself for it. Damn alcohol.

“She might, yeah.” Amy says as she watches Beca disappearing out of the room.

Her nausea hits full force as she stumbles into the next room, hoping she’s finally found Chloe’s room this time. She climbs into the bed and pulls the covers up to her chin, letting her eyes slip closed immediately. She lays like that for a little wall, on the brink of falling asleep.

Then, she makes the mistake of forgetting where she is and speaks up, her eyes still closed.

“Hey.” She says loudly. “Hey, Amy.”

It’s stupid, really. But she’s drunk and tired and this bed has become so familiar to her that it feels like her own and the other girl’s heavy breathing could also belong to her roommate, Amy, who shares the attic of the house with her.

“What?” The other girl finally responds sleepily.

“Hey, so, don’t tell Chloe but I just walked into the room with all the other Bellas and now they all know we’re a couple.”

There’s a silence for a few seconds before the other girl speaks up.

“Beca?”

“Yeah?”

“I am Chloe.”

Beca turns around and squints her eyes in the darkness, now noticing that indeed, it’s Chloe who is laying next to her and not another Bella.

“Oh. Right. I know that.”

She stands up then, as quickly as her head will let her, and walks over towards the door. She pulls it open and sticks her head out into the hallway, then screams out at the top of her lungs:

“Hey guys, I just told Chloe that I touched Aubrey’s boobs.”

“Beca!” Chloe says, trying to shush the other girl.   
  
“What?” Beca turns around to face Chloe again, finding it hard to actually focus on the other girl.

“Stop yelling! Also, you didn’t tell me that.”

“Oh. So-,” She says, starting to yell again. Chloe’s on her feet in an instant, moving to stand behind Beca and immediately sliding an arm around her waist to drag her back to the bed.

“I’m so confused.” Beca says as soon as her head hits the pillow again.

“I’m starting to understand that.”

“I love you.”

Chloe can’t help but smile softly at her girlfriend. “You’ve never told me that.”

“I thought I did.”

“No. I would have remembered.”

They lay in silence for a little bit. “What a night huh? I inappropriately grab another Bella’s boobs and then tell my girlfriend I love her.”

“Yeah, where did that come from?”

“Well, I can’t really explain that. I mean, I guess it’s just all the small things, you know. The way you smile at me in the morning, the way you always support me, how you look at me after we sing together, our cuddle evenings, you know, all that stuff. That’s why, I guess. Plus, the sex is pretty great.”

Chloe laughs out loud now. “You’re not wrong. But I was actually talking about you grabbing Aubrey’s boobs.”

“Oh.” Chloe can tell she’s blushing, even in the darkness of the room. “I thought she was you. I thought I walked into your room but I guess I didn’t.”

“So, you thought it was me and instead of talking to ‘me’ first you decide to just go straight for my boobs.”

“I don’t like that that’s what you’re focusing on. Besides, last time you were drunk you had your fingers inside of me before we even properly left the party. Do I need to remind you of that?”

“Got it. Thanks.” Chloe says, coughing as she remembers pressing Beca up against the wall outside of a bar. Beca had been sober that night, needing to drive a couple of Bellas (including Chloe) home. Chloe herself though, had definitely not been sober, and Beca had just looked  _so hot_ that night, and when another girl had noticed that too she’d felt the need to make it perfectly clear in that moment that Beca was hers, and  _only_ hers. Luckily, the other Bellas hadn’t seen them, not even when things got a little too heated and Chloe had dragged Beca outside.

“So, are we good?”

She laughs then, because yes, of course they were. Never tonight had she been the littlest bit worried that Beca had actually meant to touch Aubrey’s boobs (unless it was for some kind of joke).

“Yes, of course.”

Beca leans over to press a kiss to her cheek, then rolls over to lay on her back again, hoping the nausea will disappear soon. It’s quiet for a bit, and she feels herself starting to drift off the sleep.

“Beca?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you too.”

Beca smiles. “Despite me touching Aubrey’s boobs and revealing to everyone that we’re dating?”

“Actually,  _because_  of that, partly.”

The brunette frowns then. “Well, I’d rather not go around touching other girls’ boobs, honestly.”

Chloe laughs. “No, I mean, the telling everyone part. I think it just shows how much this really means to you.”

“Of course, Chlo. I’m proud of you, and us, and I want everyone to know that. Because I’m never letting you go.”

“Good. Because I’m never letting you go either.”


	22. Together - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _"I was wondering if you could write a one shot where beca writes a song for Chloe revealing her feelings about her and chloe hears it on the radio for the first time. Thank you so much!!"_
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> _Song: Together by Ryan Montbleau_

It’s weird how much can change over the course of one year. It’s something you don’t realize until after you graduate and suddenly you realize that you don’t know where you’ll be tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that one, or even months from now. You won’t be in the same classroom with the same friends making the same jokes.

You might not even talk to them anymore at all.

At least, not in the way it used to be.

Not like living together all the time, not ever having to actually ask them to go out that evening because you all know it’s happening anyway.

It doesn’t take months to plan one evening, doesn’t cost 500 dollars to fly out to see each other, doesn’t end with unanswered texts and missed phone calls.

It’s okay, really, because you’re family now and family doesn’t break apart, not even after weeks of silence. You don’t give up on each other.

It’s just hard.

The not knowing.

* * *

 

_**1 Year after the USO tour** _

Chloe Beale never thought her life would change that much when she agreed to come to the Bellas reunion. She thought it’d be nice. They would see each other, sing together, and maybe even catch up on what they were all doing in life.

Never did she think it would lead to them going on a tour around the world. Never did she think it would end with her kissing some soldier while her best friend sets off on a new adventure on the other side of the world.

She always knew Beca would get there. Maybe not like this, maybe not so early, and definitely not  _without_ her. She thought she’d be there. That’s the one thing she had always been so certain about.

But they were different people. They weren’t so careless anymore, so free. She didn’t jump into showers anymore with total strangers, or only worry about her acapella group. They didn’t have casual boyfriends that really didn’t care that much that sometimes they only had eyes for each other (in fact, she always knew Tom kind of liked it. At least, in the beginning, when he thought it was just a thing she did to turn him on. Which he soon realized it was not).

But Beca had Theo, or something, and Chicago was cute and it looked like a future with just her and Beca, in whatever way, just wasn’t possible.

Chicago could give her the only thing that Beca couldn’t.

A certainty of tomorrow, and the day after.

And maybe that was enough.

Beca had her future planned out, after all. She had her tomorrows. All of them. And none of them included Chloe.

So why should she stay behind, not knowing what time would bring her? She’s done enough of that, the waiting, the not knowing. It feels like that’s what it has always been like with Beca, no matter how great everything was during college.

Chloe waited for her to realize how great she was. She waited for her to make a move. Then she waited for her to break up with Jesse, she waited for her to say something, anything. She waited for her even after Beca’s performance ends. After she sings Freedom Chloe stays backstage for a bit and waits for her. Again. Stupidly.

She waits but Beca never shows.

But then Chicago turns around the corner and she rushes into his arms because he  _is_ there. And it’s enough.

* * *

 

She wonders if she missed something.

She wonders if she made a mistake or missed a sign or not listened when she was trying to tell her something.

But it just feels like not enough.

Not Beca.

She would have been enough.

Just, not like this.

Not with this insecurity.

She's spent enough time waiting on her to say or do anything, and Beca moving to L.A while Chloe moved to San Francisco was just the final push for her to know that she needed to let it go.

It was hard to understand what Beca was  _trying_ to actually say while being in the same room, let alone roughly 383 miles (yes, she looked that up).

Sure, she’d gotten better at it over the years, but when it came to figuring out Beca’s true feelings towards her she still sometimes feels like the same confused Chloe who had met Beca that day of the activities fair.

Either way, there was nothing to do now.

She’s still with Chicago. They don’t see each other much, but it didn’t matter. She has a feeling they both know an ending to their relationship is inevitable.

Beca is.. well.. she’s Beca.

She’s badass and doing what she does best and as far as Chloe knows she’s being amazing at it.

They talk.

But not like they used to talk.

Looking back, she almost can’t believe that this is the same girl that she used to share a bed with for a year long. The same girl who she’d wake up to every morning and who would tell her about her feelings (as well as she could) and make her coffee and then in the evenings Beca would sometimes slide an arm around her waist and cuddle into her and Chloe would always think just how close they were to the real thing. They were almost there. And she stopped trying to force Beca to tell her, because she knew it was going to happen. She wasn’t sure when but she was certain now.

She was certain until she wasn’t and then starting over was just too much.

And it was too painful now to talk.

Beca would ask her about Chicago, and Chloe would ask her about work, and if there were any new guys in her life.

It was the same conversation every single time, and part of her wondered if they kept asking those question in the hopes that someday they’d hear the answer they actually want to hear.

_‘No Beca, we’re not together. In fact, I love you.’_

_‘Chloe. You know it’s been you all along. I’m not dating anyone not because I don’t have the time, but because I don’t want to.’_

She doesn’t like to think about it too much. Because it doesn’t make it better. It doesn’t change the answers.

Beca won’t really talk to her, even though Amy has informed her that she is, in fact, struggling with something. It’s too bad that they’re not the kind of friends anymore that share everything. It really is too bad.

* * *

 

A week later she’s in her car on the way to vet school when she turns on the radio. It’s not something she often does, preferring to listen to her own Spotify list. But today she just doesn’t feel like it. For some reason, they just remind her too much of Beca and she can’t deal with that today. She woke up in a bad mood and being sad about Beca is the last thing she needs.

Which is exactly why it almost makes her roll her eyes when she hears the announcement on the radio. Of course, this happens today. Of all days.

_“And still with us in the studio, we have producer and artist Beca Mitchell, who’s about to give us a live performance of her new song. Beca, can you tell us again why you decided to write this particular track?”_

She wants to turn the radio off. She really does.

But something stops her.

 _“Uh..”_  Her friend stammers, and it brings a smile to her face. Apparently, not everything has changed. She’s still awkward.  _“So, like I said before, I don’t want to share too much, but this song is just really personal and it’s something I felt like I just needed to write. I uh- and my friends will vouch for this, I have a hard time expressing my emotions, and music has always really helped me. Which I guess is why I wrote this. For uh- closure, you know?”_

The radio DJ chuckles.  _“I get it. Now, you go ahead and introduce yourself!”_

 _“Alright,”_  She clears her throat and Chloe can start to feel her heart beating faster in her chest already.  _“So, this is Beca Mitchell and here’s my new song ‘Together’”._

Chloe is thankful for the morning traffic, for once, thankful that she can listen to Beca’s song without having to actually drive.

The second the song starts, she’s pretty sure she stops breathing at all.

She didn’t know Beca could play the guitar.

She also never thought Beca would go for a song like this. It’s quiet, and acoustic and something that she would have put on her playlist. Not Beca, definitely not. She likes mashups and beats and basically anything but this. The louder the better, sometimes. Loud enough to quiet the voices in her head, is what Chloe used to think.

But maybe that’s why she chose this. She’s finally letting that part of her speak.

It brings tears to her eyes instantly.

She starts singing then, and her voice sounds hoarse but as beautiful as Chloe remembers it. Sure, she’s heard Beca sing a million times before, but this is different. So very different.

_“I’m not the way I’m supposed to be  
I’m supposed to be thankful for what I got.  
_ _Things are not the way they’re supposed to be  
_ _She’s supposed to be here and she’s not.”_

Chloe can’t believe what she’s hearing. First of all, it hurts to hear Beca’s obvious struggle. Is she unhappy? She truly hopes that she’s not, and if she is, she wants Beca to tell her already. To share.

And who is she talking about?

She wants it to be her. She does. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking. Right?

_“If I was younger the stakes wouldn’t seem so high  
_ _And as I grow older I fear I missed love’s call  
_ _Well, we couldn’t be together as much as we’d have liked  
_ _So we won’t be together at all.”_

She pretends she doesn’t hear the way Beca’s voice seems to shake a little more than usual, the way she can practically hear her throat closing as she tries to fight off her emotions. She herself doesn’t have too, however, and she knows she couldn’t even if she wanted to. Tears keep streaming down her face, clouding her vision. She knows that the guy in the car next to her has noticed, but she doesn’t care.

_“And I knew the place where I’d bend upon one knee  
_ _It was this one moonlit little spot  
_ _And I knew the words I’d say as I showed her the ring  
_ _The ring I never bought.”_

“Oh god.” She says, letting her head fall forward on her steering wheel, once again thankful for the traffic that still hasn’t moved.

_“And if I was older maybe I wouldn’t have hesitated  
_ _And if I was younger I’d have built myself a wall  
_ _When we couldn’t be together as much as we’d have liked  
_ _And so we wouldn’t be together at all.”_

It’s her, right? It  _has_  to be her.

It can’t be Jesse, because Beca keeps saying ‘her’. And as far as she knows Beca doesn’t have any other woman she’s interested in. Again, as far as she knows.

Traffic starts moving again, and she immediately pulls her car over to the side, stopping it completely before leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes. For some reason it makes her feel like she’s right there, actually listening to Beca. She focuses on the way her voice seems to gain confidence and she can practically  _see_ her now.

_“And they say what’s meant to be  
_ _Oh, is meant to be  
_ _And if it’s meant to be we’ll find our way eventually  
_ _I’m trying to believe two hearts so caring and kind  
_ _Were only beaten down by distance and time  
_ _Oh, and we tried and we tried so hard it couldn’t be our fault  
_ _We’re just somehow better off not together at all  
_ _At all  
_ _At all._

 

_And I’m not the way I’m supposed to be  
_ _I’m supposed to be alright on my own  
_ _And things are just the way they’re supposed to be  
_ _We’re supposed to spread our wings now I suppose  
_ _And as we grow older, who knows  
_ _We may look back fondly on ourselves and recall  
_ _When we couldn’t be together as much as we’d have liked  
_ _And so we wouldn’t be together at all…”_

The song ends.

She’s aware of the radio DJ and some other people applauding Beca but she can’t focus on it. It sounds like it’s all happening in another room and she hears pieces of the conversation but can’t make out the words.

She pulls out her phone, but she’s not even sure who to call or what to do. She has to do something of course, because if this really is about her it means that Beca loves her too, really loves her, and it means that she’s been vulnerable enough to not only admit it to herself but tell the whole world.

Chloe has been waiting for some kind of sign, gesture, all along. And this could be it. Beca could be braver than she ever has been or will be right now.

But she’s not sure, stupidly enough.

So she calls Amy.

“Red? What’s up?”

“Is it me?”

“Sorry? What?”

“Is it me, Amy. The song.”

She’s quiet for a good ten seconds.

“Yeah. It’s you.”

She sniffles loudly into the phone, unable to stop herself. “Why- Why didn’t she tell me?”

Amy sighs deeply. “Why didn’t you?”

“I- I tried. So many times, Amy, I tried.”

“So did she. In her own way, she tried. I uh- I’m not supposed to tell you, but she wanted to, she was going to do something, after the tour, but she ran into you and Chicago and- well.. I think you know what happened next.”

A fresh tear falls down her face. “She did  _what_?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Where does she live?”

“L.A, you know that.”

She shakes her head, even though she knows her Australian friend can’t see it.

“No, I mean, do you have her address?”

Amy does, of course.

She hangs up and calls her teacher to tell them she won’t be there today. Beca’s address is only a 5 hour and 43-minute drive, she knows. She knows because she’s looked L.A up so many times.

It will be enough time for her to clear her head, figure out what she wants to say, and also.. to break up with Chicago.

Amy arranges most of the stuff while she focuses on her drive. She makes sure to ask what the rest of Beca’s plans are today, which (thankfully) includes her being off of work and hanging out at home, and then she calls her building and makes sure that Chloe can enter by providing her ID and name, this way the doorman won’t have to call up to Beca’s apartment. Thank god for Amy’s connections.

* * *

When she finally gets there her heart feels light and heavy at the same time.

Breaking up with Chicago went about as well as any breakup can go. He was a little bit upset about her doing it over the phone instead of in a week, when they’d see each other again. But then he pushes and kept asking why and Chloe finally just told him. He understood. In a way, he said he’d known all along. He knew they were on borrowed time.

He wishes her luck and it makes her smile sadly. He’s a good man, truly. Just not for her.

Beca’s apartment building is huge, and fancy looking. She really is doing amazing, even better than Chloe thought.

Her heart is hammering in her chest. She can’t believe she actually drove here. She can’t believe she’s actually doing this.

It makes her chuckle too. Because in a way, it’s like how it all started.

But instead of it being her shower, it’s her luxurious apartment in L.A. And she’s not planning to just burst through the door, not this time.

Five minutes later she’s standing in front of Beca’s apartment. She’s in her scrubs, still, not having had the chance to change before heading into school, and her hair is pulled up into a messy ponytail. She doesn’t care, not the smallest bit.

She knocks once, and then waits.

“Is that my pizza?” Someone calls out, and it almost makes her smile. She would have, if she weren’t this nervous.

“Uh. Yeah.” She answers, because she just wants Beca to open the door, and saying ‘no’ could make her ask more questions and she doesn’t have time for that.

Not ten seconds later the door is pulled open and there she is.

Beca.

She’s as beautiful as Chloe remembers. Even in her sweatpants with an old Bella shirt on and her own hair in a messy ponytail as well, strands falling down and framing her face.

“You’re not pizza.”

“No.” It’s hard to tell what Beca is feeling, even now that she  _knows_.

“Chloe.” She then finally says, a smile appearing on her face as she exhales deeply. She must have been holding that, the redhead realizes.

“Beca.” Is all she manages to say, and then she pushes forward, wrapping her arms around Beca as tight as she can without actually hurting the other woman. Beca’s hands hang loosely by her side for a second or two before she brings them up and wraps them around Chloe and then they’re embracing in the hallway of Beca’s fancy L.A apartment building.

It lasts about two minutes before Chloe realizes she should probably start explaining. She pulls back, smiling softly as she watches Beca angrily wipe a tear from her cheek, clearly hoping that Chloe didn’t catch it. But she did, and she brings up her hand to wipe away the tears that fall from her other eye.

“Sorry.” The brunette mumbles, and it makes her smile even more.

“Don’t be. I cried the whole car ride here.”

“You uh- you drove?” Beca asks, confused.

Chloe nods in response. “I had to. I heard your song, Becs.”

She starts to ramble then, so fast that Chloe has a hard time catching all of the individual words. “So my manager totally wanted me to write something more personal and focused on my true feelings and I just didn’t know what to do because you know me, I always push and push my feelings away and then I found this song I wrote in the plane to L.A right after the USO tour and I didn’t want to at first but he liked it and I’m sorry for putting it out there like that. I wasn’t sure if you’d make the connection and if you did I didn’t want to mess up your life even more but I just really needed to-“

“Beca.”

“I really needed to tell my story because-“

“Beca, stop.”

She does, finally.

“I love you.”

The brunette’s mouth drops open again and now they’re just staring at each other.

“You uh- you love me?”

Chloe smiles, then nods. “Don’t you know that yet? I’ve been trying to tell you for the last 6 years.”

She frowns and avoids the redhead’s eyes, clearly trying to make sense of it all. “But uh- what about Chicago?”

She half shrugs. “He was what I needed in that moment, I think. He gave me the one thing you never could, certainty. I knew what he felt, for sure, and I knew where we’d be tomorrow, and the next day and I hadn’t had that for a long time. Plus, you were moving on too. There was no room for me in your life.”

“Chloe, there’s always room. You  _are_ my life.”

She smiles. “I know that now, I think.”

“I’ve been trying to tell you too, you know? For a long time. I just- I’m not very good at it. I think I was scared too. Still am, a little bit.”

“Even now that you know I love you?” She asks.

Beca nods. “Maybe even more so.”

Chloe frowns, clearly not understanding, and her silence is a sign for Beca that she needs to explain a little more. “It means I have something to lose. I mess things up, in case you didn’t know that yet. I push people away, always.”

“Beca you’re never going to lose me, not again. We did that already. I’m not leaving a second time. And I’m not letting you leave.”

She finally smiles then. A larger smile than Chloe has ever seen from her.

“I love you too.”

She starts to lean in, because really, they’ve waited long enough for this, but Beca puts a hand on her chest, stopping her.

“Wait, uh, one second. What about Chicago, and what happens next? I’m sorry, I know that these are big questions but I need to know. I want to be all in, but I need to know this first.”

She understands. “We broke up. I broke up with him on the way over, but it’s alright. It was inevitable, and we both knew it. He just wants me to be happy. And about our future? Together, that’s what I know for sure. We can do whatever you want. We could drive over to each other on the weekends at first, it’s not that far.”

Beca makes a face at that, which causes her to laugh softly. “Right, so.. there’s also the other option where I could transfer to the vet school in L.A, which wouldn’t be a problem, but uh.. I don’t want to impose or whatever. I know you have your life here and it might be a bit much for me to move in right away, plus-“

Beca doesn’t let her finish her sentence. Instead, she surges forward and connects their lips.

They move slowly against each other for a little bit, just enjoying the moment and enjoying the feeling of the other girls’ lips. That is, until Chloe gets impatient.

She deepens the kiss, her tongue stroking Beca’s lower lip before it’s granted access to the younger woman’s mouth, both of them now moaning. Beca wraps her arms around her neck and Chloe pulls on her waist to press their bodies closer together and she can’t believe how much has changed in just one day.

Beca pulls back a little to bite her lower lip, making her groan and the kiss suddenly becomes heated very quick, very fast.

That is, until someone awkwardly clears their throat and knocks on the still open door next to her. They immediately pull back, Chloe turning around in Beca’s arms to face the pizza delivery guy.

“Uh, pizza?”

“Right.” Beca says, then laughs. She hands him some money (way too much, but who cares) and then apologizes to him as he hands over the pizza.

Chloe only manages to smile sheepishly at him and Beca.

“Sorry about that interruption.” Beca says when they’re alone again. She’s walked further into her apartment now, and Chloe closes the door behind her, hoping nobody else planned to come by tonight.

“It’s fine. We have time now.”

It makes Beca stop and smile at her, apparently just realizing how true this is.

Because for the first time, they have a certainty of tomorrow together, and a week from now, and a month, and  _hopefully_ , a lifetime.

“Yeah. We do. Together, right?”

“Together.”


	23. The Dress - M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _only bought this dress so you could take it off_
> 
> Rating: M

Dinner.

They were at dinner with all of the Bellas and it had been chaotic ever since they stepped foot inside the restaurant. They never should have gone to a nice place. Beca tried to warn Aubrey, tried to tell her that no matter how much older they’d gotten, they  _could not_ behave at a normal, fancy-ish restaurant. It was just not a possibility for this group.

Amy would yell something too loud, Stacie would make inappropriate comments to the waiter (causing him, or her, to drop whatever they were holding), Aubrey would complain about the food or drinks, they’d lose either Jessica or Ashely over the course of the evening.

The whole thing was just a disaster waiting to happen.

Never though, never in a million lives, had she thought that she’d be the one getting thrown out of the place.

* * *

 

**_4 Hours earlier_ **

“Really Chlo?” Beca asks as she walks out of the bathroom and into the living room/bedroom/kitchen that she shares with her two best friends. “That’s what you decided to wear?”

She moves to stand next to Chloe, making eye contact with the woman through the mirror.

“What? Do you not like it?” the redhead asks, moving her hands along the tight-fitting red fabric of the dress. “It’s just.. I’ve had it for a while and there’s never been a good opportunity to wear it. It would be such a waste if I don’t wear it tonight.”

“Such a waste indeed.” Beca says, nodding. She can’t tear her eyes away from the dress. Sure, Chloe is beautiful no matter what she wears, but this is just.. something else. That’s all she can say. She’s pretty sure that if Chloe were to bend over, she could see most of her breasts. She hopes the waiters tonight are going to leave Chloe alone, or she’s going to have to fight someone.

“So, you don’t like it?” Chloe turns to her, her lips curled into a pout. “I really don’t have much else I can wear. All my good clothes are in the laundry.”

Beca chuckles then. “Chloe, the problem here is that I like it a little too much. Remember how we decided it would be best if this-“ She gestures between the two of them, “stays between us for a little bit longer?”

Chloe nods.

“Well, that’s not going to happen with you wearing something like this.”

She frowns, clearly not quite understanding what Beca’s saying. “What are you talking about?”

Beca surges forward then, grabbing Chloe’s upper arms to turn her around and press her up against the wall mirror. She leans forward and presses her lips against the redhead’s, deepening the kiss as Chloe opens her mouth in slight shock. It still amazes her that they can do this now. Kiss each other like this.

It’s only been going on for a couple of weeks (3, but who’s counting) and so far they haven’t been able to keep their hands to themselves for longer than ten minutes. It’s proven to be really hard in public, or with Amy living here with them.

“Fuck.” Beca curses, momentarily detaching their lips. “You look so hot.”

“I didn’t know that as a bad thing.”

Beca kisses her once more, quickly, because Amy might be home any moment now to pick them up. “It’s not. It’s just going to make this evening harder.”

* * *

 

And it does.

Not right away, Beca is not an animal (no matter how Chloe keeps insisting she’s just like a baby panda), she can keep her hands to herself and enjoy a proper dinner with her friends who she hasn’t seen in over 4 months.

But then, there’s more alcohol, and Chloe’s hand has moved under the table to rest on her thigh and it’s just too much and every time she looks over her girlfriend’s breasts are basically staring at her and it’s just impossible not to stare back.

“Bec, Beca!” She finally snaps out of her thoughts (and stops staring) after realizing that Aubrey has been calling her name. Chloe pinches her thigh under the table and shoots her a warning glare. Shit, has she just been caught?

“Wha-What?” She stammers.

“I was just asking if you could pass me the salt.”

“Oh. Right. Sure.” She hopes nobody notices how her hand is shaking as she hands Aubrey the salt.

She can feel Chloe leaning in closer and seconds later she feels her warm breath hitting her neck and ear. “You need to be more careful babe. You’ve been staring at my breasts so much you’ve barely even touched your food.”

She knows she’s blushing now. “Sorry. It’s just… they’re so pretty and.. I miss them.”

Chloe chuckles then, causing some of the Bellas to look their way. “They miss you too, sweetie. But I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a little bit longer.”

The redhead shoots her a wink before leaning back into her seat, and part of Beca wonders if maybe she’s doing this all on purpose to make her feel more uncomfortable. Chloe already knows how much she hates social gatherings like this, making her aroused in the middle of a restaurant would only make it  _so much_ worse. But then again, this  _is_ Chloe they’re talking about.

“You guys okay?” Stacie asks, to which Chloe just nods and smiles sweetly.

“Perfect. We were just remembering something from way back in the first year.”

“It must have been when you jumped into the shower with short stack then, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen her blush that much.”

Beca’s eyes widen then, and she can feel Chloe’s hand (which has returned to her thigh) pinching her once again. “You told them that?”

“Uh. Maybe?”

“Chloe!”

“What? It was hot!” Stacie adds, shooting Beca a wink of her own. “I, for one, would have liked to be there.”

“There wasn’t even anything sexual about it.” Beca tries to argue, to which all of them laugh.

“What? I swear! She just- I mean, she- fuck this!” She drops her napkin next to her plate and leans back in her seat to cross her arms in front of her chest. Of course, this only makes all of the other Bellas laugh louder.

“It was a  _little_  sexy, you have to admit that.” Chloe says as she turns to face Beca. “I mean, I caught you staring at least 5 times.”

“ _You_ were staring too!”

“Not a compelling argument.” Amy says, which earns her a glare from Beca.

“Yeah, I was, and I’m not afraid to admit that.”

“Oh damn.” Cynthia Rose says, now leaning back in her seat as well to watch the interaction between the two girls.

“Can we just stop talking about this, please?” Beca says, ducking her head down to avoid eye contact with all of them.

“Sure, sure. For now.” Amy finally gives in, getting back to eating her (expensive) meal.

* * *

 

Another hour later and Beca is pretty sure she’s drunk.

It was really the only way to get through the rest of the night.

Or so she told herself.

Sure, listening to the other Bellas and joking along had become easier. Not touching or looking at Chloe however, hadn’t.

Especially with Chloe’s hand now stroking further and further up her thigh and the occasional whisper of things she’d get to do to her later in her ear. It was just too much to handle. Honestly, she’s surprised she’s made it this far.

Finally, and without any real warning, Chloe’s hand moves even higher up until she’s cupping her.. well..  _there_ , and immediately, she’s choking on her dessert.

“Wow shit. Beca, are you okay?” Flo asks, patting her on her back while Chloe’s fingers keep rubbing her over her pants. Even through the fabric, the feeling is amazing.

“Uh, yeah. Great. Couldn’t be better. Just uh, it went down the wrong pipe, you know?”

“You’re eating ice cream. There’s literally no chewing involved. Minimal mistakes can be made.” Amy teases, and Beca’s starting to get a feeling she’s onto them.

“Well, uh” She chuckles awkwardly and shrugs, “you know me, I’m always clumsy.”

“That’s true.” Aubrey agrees, “She was never able to get the dance moves quite right without falling over at least once.”

“That’s just uncalled for.” Beca says, but the others are already laughing. Except for Chloe, who has used the moment to lean closer to her. “Meet me in the bathroom in five minutes.”

She swallows loudly and only manages to nod.

Soon after, Chloe excuses herself from the table. She’s lucky that most of the Bellas are still laughing and not really paying attention to what she’s doing. Beca waits the (long) five minutes before finally getting up.

“Where are you going?” Stacie asks, suspicious already. Great.

“Uh. Bathroom, you know.”

“Didn’t Chloe just go?” Aubrey asks.

“Yeah. And I need to go too. Can’t do anything about that.”

“Sure..” Stacie says with a teasing smirk on her face.

“Anyhoo, I’m gonna go.”

“Don’t make her scream too loud. We don’t want to get kicked out of this place.” Amy then adds, which immediately makes her roll her eyes.

“Oh my god. Just- bye.”

* * *

 

She finds Chloe leaning over the sink staring at her own reflection in the mirror.  

“Chloe. What the hell do you think you’re-“ She’s cut off by the redhead, who presses her up against the sink and it almost makes her laugh, thinking about how their roles have suddenly turned around. This afternoon, it was her pressing Chloe up against the mirror, and now it’s the redhead who’s currently lifting Beca up so she can sit on the counter.

“Chloe.” She pleads, and immediately the older girl quiets her with an almost earth-shattering kiss. It’s deep, and needy, and it makes her moan instantly.

“Fuck.”

“Stop talking, Bec.”

“Trying.”

Chloe deepens the kiss, her tongue meeting Beca’s in her own mouth while they start the fight for dominance. Chloe wins, of course.

They kiss for a while until Beca starts to get impatient. She grinds her hips forwards, and Chloe now moves to stand between her legs while her hands start trailing down Beca’s body and over her breasts.

“I need more.” Beca breathes, because she’s had enough of this teasing.

Chloe however, isn’t having any of it. She doesn’t speed up, instead, her hand moves back up to Beca’s cheek and cups it while she slows down their kissing.

Beca surprises Chloe by suddenly jumping off the counter and turning the redhead around so that she’s facing the mirror again while Beca stands behind her.

“I need this fucking dress off already.” She’s struggling with the zipper, which seems to want to stay where it is. But that just won’t do. She then tries to pull on the sides, hoping it will somehow become looser and slide down her girlfriend’s body. It’s not working, of course.

Chloe chuckles. “You know, if we’re being honest, I only bought this dress so that you could take it off.”

“Well, fuck me then because I can’t seem to actually get it off. Also, I thought you said you had it for a while and you were just looking for an opportunity to wear it.”

The redhead smiles, making eye contact with Beca in the reflection of the mirror. “I lied. I figured it’d be a perfect way to tease you during dinner with the Bellas.”

“Tease? You mean make me suffer? Because if so, you succeeded.”

“Are you turned on?”

She groans then, because fucking hell she’s turned on and she needs this damn thing off already. “What do you think, Chloe? You think I’m basically ripping this dress off of you for fun?”

“Let me help.”

Beca shakes her head while she moves Chloe over towards the entrance of the bathroom. “No I got it. Here, lean on this, the lighting is better.” She gestures towards the door while she keeps moving forward until Chloe is pressed up against it.

“Wait, Beca, no-“ Chloe tries, but it’s too late.

Suddenly, they’re falling forward.

They’re falling forward and into the restaurant.

Chloe falls face first, and Beca falls on top of her not second later, her hand still on the zipper which is now halfway down her back.

“Oh my god.”

“Yeah, the door swings both ways. That’s what I was trying to tell you.”

“Fuck.”

* * *

 

The rest of the Bellas are by their side not half a minute later. By now, most of the customers have their eyes on them and Beca is awkwardly aware that she’s still lying on top of Chloe who’s still half naked.

“Well well well..” Amy starts, but before she can finish Beca is holding up her hand.

“Don’t even.”

“Beca, didn’t know you had it in you. I mean, this is rough, even for me. I’ve never had sex so hard I broke a door.” Stacie adds.

Beca rolls her eyes. “We didn’t break a door; it swings both ways. Why do I even bother defending myself here? Would it be believable if I said that Chloe just needed some help getting her dress fixed?”

“I think it’s too late for that, babe.” Chloe answers, having totally given up trying to save any part of their dignity.

“Fuck.”

“I think there’s been enough of that already.” Amy says, which earns her another groan from Beca.

“I hate this night.”

“Well, it’s about to get better, because I’m pretty sure the manager is going to come over to kick you out of the place, and we also just decided we’re going on a singing tour around the world with the USO.”

“What the fuck? How did that happen?”

“My dad.” Aubrey says, and Beca can feel Chloe pushing herself up on her elbows to look at her friend.

“Are we really?”

Aubrey nods, and Chloe smiles back at her, clearly excited they’re going to be singing again.

“Is this really the best time to have this conversation?” Beca asks, but before anyone can answer, the manager is by their side and that’s how she ends up outside of the restaurant – by herself – not ten minutes later.

“I hate you all.” Beca says once everyone else has paid their bills and finally decide to join her outside. “I’m never allowed back there, you know?”

“It’s fine. That place was too fancy for us anyways. Who even chose that?” Aubrey says.

“Chloe did.” Amy points at the redhead who has now moved to stand next to her. “And I think we all know why now.”

Beca turns her head around to look at Chloe, noticing that she’s blushing a little bit. “What? Can’t a girl have some fun with her girlfriend?”

“She totally can.” Stacie says, “I just don’t think it has to end with most of our group getting banned from a restaurant. I mean, I get it, I’ve been banned from most places but still… at least that was my own fault.”

“Sorry.” Beca says sheepishly, although she’s not really that sorry. It actually feels good that everyone knows now.

“So uh,” she starts, a little unsure now, “You’re all okay with this?” She grabs Chloe’s hand and holds them up, making it clear what she’s trying to ask.

“Well, I mean, we’ve pretty much always known this was going to happen. Maybe not like this, but yeah, no surprise here.” Cynthia Rose says.

“Actually, I’ve heard you two have sex at least four times, so… I’m not surprised at all. You were way worse at hiding this than you thought.” Amy says which just makes everyone laugh.

“Great, can we just go home now, please?”

“Yeah, but I’m not going home with you guys, because I don’t want to see the end of this disaster so.. have fun. Beca, good luck with that dress, do  _not_ call us if you need help.”

Chloe laughs and quickly presses a kiss to Beca’s cheek. “She won’t. I’ll just take it off myself.”

“Why is everyone acting like I’m some child incapable of anything? I can take off a dress. It’s just.. the zipper got stuck.” She pouts, which only makes it funnier to everyone else. Of course.

“It’s alright babe.” Chloe says before leaning in to kiss Beca properly. She honestly doesn’t care that the others are watching. She’s never had a problem with public displays of affection, and she’s proud of them as a couple.

“I can’t believe we’re going to have to deal with this 24/7 while we go on tour.” Aubrey says to Stacie as they watch the two other girls make out.

“I know..” Stacie sighs, “We’re going to definitely have to find some way to deal with it. God knows I can’t watch all that without him,” She gestures towards her crotch, “expecting some action as well.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”


	24. April Fools' Day - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Can we have one about Beca confessing her love or pranking chloe on April fools day? Thanks_
> 
> Rating: T

_**‘I like you too. Will you go out with me?’** _

One simple text message.

That’s it.

One simple text message is enough to have her crying in the middle of class while she tries to ignore some of the other students asking her if she’s okay.

She just shakes her head and excuses herself as she makes her way out of the room.

She never knew something like this would happen. When Beca had learned about her true feelings towards her not too long ago, Chloe hoped that they could at least still remain friends. It had been a little awkward, to say the least.   
  
Chloe had - in a moment of desperation - confessed to Aubrey, who had been visiting the Bella house, that she was in fact very much in love with her best friend, and had been for a while. Ever since they met, to be honest.

Then, when she had opened up the door to get a glass of water for herself, she had been faced with Beca, who stood in front of her door with a shocked expression on her face. There was no way that she hadn’t just heard everything Chloe had said.

Knowing Beca, she ran.

And that was the last of that.

It was fine.

Chloe knew Beca wasn’t a talker.

If she needed to be away from her for a little bit then that was okay. But she  _had_  texted Beca saying that she hoped they could at least still be friends.

She had sent that particular message a couple of days ago, but no response came.

Not until just now, when Beca had told her she liked her too and asked her if she ‘wanted to go out with her’. On stupid,  _stupid,_ April Fools’ day.

It  _really_ wasn’t funny.

She could appreciate a good joke. In fact, she loved playing pranks on the other Bellas and having fun in general, but this just was not okay. First Beca ignored her for more than a week, even though she could clearly see how hard this was for Chloe. She never wanted her to find out, she never intended on telling her. Beca was with Jesse and she had accepted that. Her friend’s happiness was more important to her than her own feelings. But then she did find out and not only did she not want to talk about it, she also made a  _joke_ about it. That was just too much, even for her.

Which is exactly why she was currently slamming the door of the Bellas house and storming up the stairs to Beca’s room. She was there, and so was Amy, who quickly seemed to catch on that something was wrong,  _very_ wrong.

“I’ll uh- I’ll see you later, short stack.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

Luckily for her (and Beca) nobody else was home. All the other girls had classes right now (actually, so had Beca and Amy but she knew that they would often skip them). As soon as she heard the door close behind Amy, she turned to face Beca. She hadn’t until that moment, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to hold back her tears once she looked at her former best friend and crush.

“Chlo, are you-“

“What the fuck, Beca?”

“Wow.” The brunette says, sitting upright in her bed now. She’s never heard Chloe curse before.

Chloe starts crying then, and damn it she hates herself because she had prepared this whole speech and she was going to say stuff and make Beca feel super shitty about everything she’d done but the anger was fading quickly and now she was just sad.

She sat down on Amy’s bed and dropped her head in her hands as she started sobbing.

What she didn’t expect though, was to feel Beca’s arms around her an instant later. Beca was not the touchy-feely kind of girl, everybody knew that, and she was even more uncomfortable with people showing any kind of extreme emotions. She just didn’t know how to deal with it.

Chloe, however, was not in the mood. She shrugs Beca’s arms off of her. “Don’t touch me.”

“Oh- okay. I’m sorry.”

“You should be.” She says through her tears.

They sit awkwardly next to each other for a few minutes, Beca not understanding what is happening and Chloe crying next to her.

“Chloe, do uh- can you please just tell me what’s wrong?”

The redhead shakes her head, but then pulls out her phone from her pocket and throws it on the bed next to her, the text message still open.

“What do you think is wrong, Beca?” Her voice sounds almost sharp enough to cut through glass, and it makes Beca shiver. She’s never seen Chloe like this before.

She picks up the phone, her eyes reading her own message, and suddenly her stomach starts to twist and turn, making her feel somewhat nauseous.

“I uh-,” she tentatively starts, “I thought that-”

Chloe finally sits up then, interrupting the brunette as she looks at her. “You thought it would be funny to send something like that? You thought I could laugh about it? What exactly did you think, Beca?”

She tries to say something, but Chloe is too fast, cutting her off again as she stands up and starts pacing around the room.

“I get that you don’t like me back, okay? It’s not like I ever thought you would. I know you love Jesse and I respect that. You were never supposed to know. And if you really don’t want to be friends anymore than that’s okay too, I can live with that, eventually. But this- you can’t do this kind of stuff to me. It’s just- it’s too much. And it’s not funny.”

“Chloe, what- what are you even talking about?” Beca’s starting to get the feeling that she’s missing something.

“April Fools’ Beca. Do you want me to spell it out for you? I get it, I got your joke. You asked me out because you thought it would be funny. Did you talk to the others about it too? I’m sure they had a blast.”

Beca’s eyes widen as she pulls out her own phone and checks the date.

Fuck.

Fucking fuck fuck  _fuck._

 

She can’t believe she’s such an idiot.

“Chloe-“ She tries to interrupt, but the redhead isn’t letting her.

“Amy must have thought it was really funny too. I can see you guys just staring at your phone wondering what I’m going to respond, and then thinking-“

“CHLOE!”

Beca’s standing in front of her now, shaking her shoulders and looking at her with a look that she has never seen from her. “Please, Chloe, stop talking for a second.”

She does, finally.

Beca takes a deep breath. “I didn’t know. I’m such an idiot, Chlo. I didn't’ know today was April Fools’ day. Please, you  _have_ to believe me. I meant what I said in my text.”

“Wait.. what?”

“I didn’t know.” Is all she manages to say again, and she realizes that words aren’t enough right now. She’s already proven she’s not great with words when it comes to this, so maybe she just shouldn’t talk at all.

She leans forward and presses her lips against Chloe’s, kissing her softly. The redhead doesn’t kiss her back though, prompting Beca to lean back a little.

“I didn’t know. I  _promise_.” Beca whispers against her lips, and when she kisses her again Chloe finally responds.

She wraps her arms around Beca’s neck while the brunette’s mouth starts pressing firmer against hers, her tongue now peeking out to stroke her bottom lip, begging for entrance.

Chloe moans, letting Beca deepen the kiss.

And that’s how they stand there, wrapped up in each other for a good five minutes until the need for oxygen becomes too much and they pull back.

“That was-“

“No joke.” Beca says, earning a soft chuckle from Chloe.

“You’re an-“

“Idiot. I know. I just- I spend this last week wondering how I was going to ask you out and break up with Jesse and it’s just been really hard and I know that text is such a lame thing to do but you know me, I’m not as forward as you and I had seriously just broken up with Jesse and that was hard enough and I-“

Chloe interrupts her by pressing another soft kiss against her lips. “I understand. Just- don’t do that to me again.”

“I promise I won’t. Happy April Fools’ day, I guess?”

“Just shut up and kiss me.”

“Gladly.”


	25. Ferris Wheel - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the list of random AU ideas, this prompt requested by anonymous: _I wanted to go on the Ferris wheel but there have to be two people to a cart come on random person let’s go oh wait are we stuck at the top? Fuck_
> 
> Rating: T (for language)

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Beca says, staring at the man who just shrugs his shoulders in response.

Just when she thought the evening couldn’t get worse. She’s been dragged (against her will) to the carnival by her best friends Emily and Stacie and their respective partners. So basically, she was the fifth wheel of the group.

Usually, she was fine being the third or fifth wheel when they were going out, she was more of a loner anyway and it gave her the perfect opportunity to always just hang back and let the others take the lead.

This time, though, it really sucked.

“Sorry miss, it’s the rules. Two people per cart.”

“Why in the hell is that a rule?”

He shrugs again. “I didn’t make ‘em.”

She looks up to see her friends encouraging her to just get on, trying to figure out what the problem is. She can’t tell them now, they wouldn’t even hear her over the loud sounds of the carnival. So instead, she just turns around and makes room for the next couple.

Just when she’s about to step off, someone grabs her arm and drags her back to face the man.

“She’s with me.” The girl next to her says and Beca is about to protest when she sees who it is.

Chloe Beale.

Everybody in school knows Chloe Beale.

Not just knows her, everybody seems to have some kind of crush on the beautiful redhead.

Herself included.

Which is exactly why she’s successfully avoided any kind of contact with the other girl up until now. They only have one class together, which makes it easier, and whenever Chloe hangs out with Stacie she just chooses to go somewhere else. It’s been fine, so far.

Except now Chloe Beale currently has her hand on Beca’s arm and she’s smiling almost too sweetly at the operator of the Ferris wheel while she hands him her ticket.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting.” She says, clearly trying to play it off like they were always supposed to go together.

Not that he seems to care.

“You know I’m not sure I-“ She starts, but Chloe isn’t having any of it.

“Are you afraid of heights or something?”

“No.” She answers, because it’s definitely not the height she’s afraid off.

Before she even fully realizes what’s happening she’s on the ride and the bar is coming down and fuck.. they’re going up. Chloe is silent for the first twenty seconds or so, which (Beca knows) is probably a record for her.

“This is nice, isn’t it?” The redhead then asks as they reach the highest point, giving them a nice view over the rest of the carnival. Chloe excitably leans forward and points at something in the distance. “I wanna go there next. Do you think we could go?”

“Uh. Probably not. I’m here with my friends.”

“I know. Stacie invited me.”

She whips her head around at that and for the first since a  _really_ long time, they’re really looking at each other. She immediately realizes she never should have done that, because  _fuck_ Chloe’s eyes look even bluer when you’re staring right at them. She doesn’t know how her boyfriend manages to not walk around with a boner all the time.

Fuck, that’s inappropriate.

It’s shit like that that makes her realize that it’s probably good they don’t hang out.

“Why did she?” Beca finally asks, although she knows it comes out rather angry.

“Because we’re friends and.. she thought it would be fun.” Chloe’s smile has faded from her face and Beca hates herself for being the cause of it.

“Right. Okay.”

They sit in silence for about a minute before Chloe speaks again. “Why do you hate me so much?”

Shit.

She never thought Chloe would straight up ask her something like this.

What was she supposed to say?

I don’t hate you. In fact, I’m kind of in love with you. - No, that’s ridiculous. She might as well jump from the Ferris wheel. That would probably be less painful than hearing Chloe’s response to that confession.

Should she pretend that she hasn’t been ignoring her for the better part of two years? - probably not, because it would not be believable at all. It’s clear she’s been avoiding her, and ignoring her. Once Chloe asked her what time it was 5 times during class and she didn’t answer her a single time even though they were sitting right next to each other.

Or should she say that she does hate her? - No, because that would just be too painful. She can’t bring herself to say that.

So instead, she says the last thing she can think of.

“We don’t have to talk, you know?”

Just then, the Ferris wheel makes a sound that she  _knows_ it really shouldn’t be making and then it just… stops.

It fucking stops.

Right when they’re at the top, of course.

“What the fuck is happening right now?” Beca whispers, mostly to herself.

“I think we’re stuck.” Chloe says in response, leaning over the edge so that she can look down. There, the Ferris wheel operator is clearly messing around with the controls while talking on the phone to what Chloe assumes must be his manager.

“No shit.”

Chloe leans back into her seat with a heavy sigh, before turning sideways to face Beca.

“I guess you’re going to have to talk to me right now.”

“Or,” The brunette suggests, “we could sit here in silence and wait until someone comes and rescues us.”

Chloe just rolls her eyes and sits back again, this time a little closer to Beca, with their shoulders now brushing against each other.

It’s quiet for almost a full five minutes this time, and just when Beca is getting her hopes up about this being the end of their awkward conversation, Chloe speaks up once more.

“Is this about the pen?”

“What pen?” She asks, but not without an eye roll. She has no idea what Chloe is even talking about but it can’t be good.

“Two years ago I borrowed a pen from you and I didn’t return it. I still have it, if you want it back.”

“You think I’d be like this because of a fucking pen?”

“Well, I honestly don’t know what else it would be.” This time, she really sounds upset, and it makes Beca turn her head to look at the other girl. She can’t help but feel shitty seeing how disappointed and confused the redhead looks. Part of her just wants to tell her, even though she knows that won’t make it any better.

But at least she’d know, right?

“Let’s just forget about it, okay? Plus, why didn’t you just come with your boyfriend instead of coming with us?” She’s a coward. An asshole and a fucking coward.

“Because I don’t have one.”

“But everybody says-“

“People aren’t always right, you know? I don’t have a boyfriend, Beca, neither do I want one.”

That shuts her right up. They stare out into the dark sky together and Beca realizes how horrible and amazing this moment is at the same time. Sure, this is not what she wanted to happen tonight, and the conversation could not have gone worse. But still, this is the most interaction they’ve had, and it’s a beautiful warm spring evening and they’re staring at the stars together.

If she’s going to crash and burn whatever this is, it might as well be now.

At least she’s surrounded by beauty, current company very much included.

“I’m sorry.” She apologizes a minute or so later. “Do you really still have the pen?” The brunette asks, just now realizing it’s a little bit odd that Chloe still carries it around.

“Uh yeah.” Chloe says, reaching for her purse and fishing out a bright yellow pen. “I mean, it stopped working a while ago so I didn’t think you’d even want it back-“ She starts putting it back in her purse already, but Beca reaches out to place a hand on her wrist to stop her.

“I’d like it back.”

Chloe stares at her, trying to determine if she’s serious. “Yeah, uh, sure. I mean.. it’s your pen, after all.”

Beca can sense the hesitation as she slowly takes the pen out again and holds it out to her. But then, she shakes her head. “No, Chloe, keep it.”

The redhead frowns. “Then why say-“

“Because I had a feeling that you didn’t want to give it up. I guess I was right.”

Chloe shrugs but doesn’t answer her.

“Why did you keep it?” Beca finally asks, done with the silence between them.

“It was a good pen.”

She chuckles, then shakes her head. “No, honestly. Why?”

“Really?” Chloe fires back, and it’s not exactly mean but it’s harsher than Beca has ever heard from her. “You’re telling me to be honest while you give me this crap about not telling me why you hate me so much.”

“I don’t hate you.” Beca interrupts her rant, staring down as she fidgets with the ring around her finger. “See, I can say the truth. Now you go.”

“That’s barely anything.” Chloe responds, but she continues anyway. “I kept it because I got it the day we met and it’s the first and probably the only time you ever really looked at me. Like, actually looked at me and it makes me remember how good you made me feel that day. You just- I mean… you were  _so nice_ then and you kept staring at me and I kept pretending that I didn’t see it but you just.. you wouldn’t talk to me so eventually I just pretended I’d forgotten my pen and asked you for one of yours and well.. you know what happened then. But after that week, you just kind of started ignoring me. Like, we went from talking non-stop that week to nothing, and I was never able to find out why. I thought we had something real, to be honest, and maybe that makes me an idiot or stupid or whatever you want to call it. And maybe it’s even more ridiculous that I’m holding onto this pen as if there was ever something to really hold on to. Because it was  _one_ week,  _two_ years ago. But I felt better those days than I had in years, and everything after that has been a chase for the same high but I don’t think I ever quite got it right.”

She takes a deep breath and then smiles softly at Beca. “So yeah, I kept the pen.”

Beca stares back at her, fully aware that her mouth is hanging open while she looks at the other girl in shock. Is Chloe telling her what she thinks she’s telling her?

“You kept the pen.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t hate you.”

“You’ve told me that.”

Beca feels a smile tugging at her lips then, a smile which only widens when she sees a matching one starting to form on Chloe’s face. This stuff doesn’t happen to her. She the fifth wheel, she’s the girl who pushes people away because she’s afraid of what might happen. She’s the one who believes that nobody can ever like her back, let alone Chloe Beale, the most beautiful and popular girl in school. The girl that  _everybody_ is in love with.

“I’m scared.” She admits then, just as the Ferris wheel starts moving again, startling both girls.

Chloe laughs. “Of this? Or  _this?”_ She gestures between them.

“Both. I think.”

“Don’t be. Things don’t have to change, if you don’t want them to. We don’t even have to be friends if you’re not comfortable with that. It’s just- I just wanted you to know my side.”

They reach the ground then, Beca stepping out first and then holding out her hand for Chloe to take.

The redhead frowns for a second, but then doesn’t hesitate and grabs onto Beca’s hand tightly as she lets herself be guided away from the Ferris wheel. Beca doesn’t even look back to find her friends as she and Chloe make their way over towards a more secluded part of the carnival. She’s sure they’ll manage without her.

“Is this when you run and pretend I’m some kind of evil bitch that you have to avoid at all costs?”

Beca laughs, although it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She feels incredibly guilty for the way she has behaved towards Chloe for the last two years, but something tells her that she can probably find a way to make it up to her.

“No, this is the moment where I ask you out on a date. Right now.”

“Right now?” Chloe asks, smiling already. She’s still holding Beca’s hand, now carefully giving it a small squeeze.

“Yeah, right now. We were stuck on that thing for forever so a walk would probably be good for us. Plus, there’s probably a teddy bear or new bright yellow pen here somewhere that I have to win for you. I want to show you how much I  _don’t_ hate you at all, and try to tell you that I’ve just been a scared idiot for the last two years who was so in love with the girl standing in front of her that she couldn’t even dare to be in the same room with her. Let alone talk to her because she knew that girl would never like her back so she just chose to ignore her instead.”

This time it’s Chloe’s turn to be amazed.

“Beca-“

“I know. But I promise I’ll make it up to you. If you want to, that is.”

Chloe smiles, leaning in to place a soft kiss on Beca’s lips. It’s barely anything, except for a promise of more.

“I’d love that.”


	26. Friendly Neighbors - E

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These combined prompts for the AU list:
> 
> _5v) You live across from me in our apartments and we smile when we see each other but we don’t really know each other and oh you’re the stripper at my friend’s stag do/hen night fuck this is really uncomfortable_
> 
> _5vi) My shower’s broken but I’ve got a date tonight could I possibly use your shower please?” “Oh sure (neighbor that I’ve been crushing on for the past six months) of course you can use my shower to get ready for your date (fuck fuck fuck)_
> 
> Rated: E

Beca Mitchell sat on the couch in her apartment, quietly watching the clock on her wall as she waited for the minutes to pass by. She’s holding two cups of hot coffee in her hand, suddenly wondering how she’s even going to get the door of her apartment open.

She doesn’t have time to think about it, because a second later she hears a door open in the hallway, and another second later she heard footsteps outside of her own door.

She’s on her feet in her an instant, rushing to the door and trying to get it to open with her right hand fingers while also trying to balance the mug.

“Shit.” She cursed as the coffee threatened to spill over the edge while she tried to turn the doorknob. She had no idea why she’d thought this was a good idea. Some of the coffee dripped onto her hand now, burning her skin. “Ah fuck! Fuck me.”

“Are you okay?” A muffled voice came through the door.

“Yeah, uh. I’m okay.” She paused, and then added: “I think.”

The person on the other end of the door giggled, and then took a step closer to her door. “Do you need any help?”

Beca paused, not one to accept help often. She preferred to do things on her own, mostly. However, right now, she realized that it probably really was better if she got some help.

“Yeah, could you just open my door? It’s unlocked but I just- I can’t get it to turn because I’m holding these cups of coffee and-“

Before she could even finish her sentence, her neighbor had pulled open her door and was now grinning widely at her while reaching for one of the cups. “Good morning.” She greeted, causing Beca to smile back softly at her.

“Morning.” She mumbled, staring into the beautiful blue eyes of her the redhead.

“What exactly were you trying to do?”

“Coffee.” The brunette answered, holding her cup up slightly.

“I got that. But why two?”

Oh right. She should have prepared for something to say. This is not something people do, probably. And definitely not people like her. Not that the other woman would know that, although it’s probably easy to tell from her lack of social skills (this is the longest conversation they’ve had in a year) that she doesn’t do this. So really... she should have thought of something, an excuse.

But she didn’t.

“Uh, I- do you want one?”

“What?”

“Would you like a cup?” She gestured down to the cup that Chloe was already holding in her hand. “I have sugar and cream inside too if you want some.”

The redhead stared at her for a few seconds before she suddenly started to laugh. “Sorry, I’m sorry,” She apologized, “It’s just that- it just sounds like you’re trying to lure me into your apartment with a weird story or something.”

Way to go Beca.

Not only is she not into you at all, she now also probably thinks that you’re some kind of creepy murderer.

“I promise I’m not. You can just take that to work, if you want. And just uh- bring it back whenever.”

Chloe still didn’t look convinced. “You sure you weren’t taking this to work for your boss or something? I mean, there must be a reason why you have two.”

Beca blushed a little and quickly looked down at her feet while she knocked her toes awkwardly against the wall, trying to come up with something she could say. “Nope.” Is all she finally said. “Don’t need it.”

Chloe chuckled, but then finally nodded and held the cup closer to her own body. “Well alright then, thank you Beca.”

Her eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but let out a small gasp. “You know my name?” It was out of her mouth before she could stop it.

The redhead nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! And also,” She pointed at something next to Beca’s door, “It’s right there.”

Beca took a step forward and then glanced at the name plague she had up next to her apartment door. “Right, of course. I knew that. Well uh.. I hope you have a good day at work.”

Chloe smiled at her. “You too Beca, and thanks again for the coffee. Take care of your hand, okay?”

She nodded at her and waved as she watched Chloe enter the elevator. Another failure at trying to actually talk to the other woman.

Well, not a total failure because they did indeed talk but she wouldn’t necessarily call that a successful conversation. She ended up with an annoying burn and she just realized she’s given her own work mug to Chloe instead of the one she had originally planned to give to the other woman. A random, plain one. Now, Chloe had one that had her company, job info and further contact details on it.

Basically, the DIY version of writing your number and a heart on someone’s Starbucks coffee.

Chloe probably thought she was incredibly lame.

* * *

 

All throughout the day, Beca hadn’t been able to let the incident of this morning go. She had been distracted and she couldn’t focus on producing music. The brunette realized she was new at BFD and she really had to prove herself but she just couldn’t help it. She kept thinking about Chloe. Granted, this was something that happened quite often. In the last six months, it had sort of become a regular thing for Beca to think about her neighbor.

She’s not quite sure how it happened, but somewhere along the way she had fallen for the other woman. It wasn’t like they saw each other often, or talked much (or any at all, really) but Beca just couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful redhead and wonder what it would be like to kiss her, talk to her, be with her.

Chloe was so.. happy and sweet and she seemed to be excited about every single thing happening in her life. Or well.. as far as Beca knew. She wasn’t like that, the smallest things annoyed her and she had never been a people person. Chloe also had a cat, and Beca was definitely not a fan of pets.

Yet still, she had a crush on her, and it seemed like it wasn’t just going to go away by itself, which is what she had hoped. So this morning she had finally decided that instead of just staring at Chloe, or wait in front of her door until precisely 7:18 so that they would run into each other in the hallway and Chloe would smile at her and wish her a good morning, she thought that she should do something, anything. So that’s where the coffee idea came from.   
One morning, not too long ago, Chloe had complained about a headache and said that she hated never having enough time to get a coffee in the morning. Back then, Beca had only managed a small smile and nod in response (too freaked out to actually respond) but it’s why she thought it had been a good idea to give her the mug.

Although she’s starting to regret that decision more and more.

* * *

 

**_The next day  
_** ** _  
_**As usual, Beca waited outside of her door until 7:18, hoping that she’d see Chloe again in the hallway. She decided not to give her any coffee today, pretty sure it was weird enough yesterday and a repeat of that would probably not be a great idea. But it doesn’t mean that she has to not see her at all. Plus, Chloe probably thinks that she has to leave for work too at the same time (even though she could leave 40 minutes later and still make it in time but who cares).

It’s exactly 7:18 when she opened up the door and stepped into the hallway only to find it empty. Shit. Now what? Did Chloe already leave?

Wait, no, she can’t have left because Beca is pretty sure she can hear sounds coming from her apartment.

Should she go back inside?

No, because Chloe would probably hear her door open and close and then she’d have to come up with another excuse of some kind.

Maybe she should just go then..

Just when she’s about to make her way over towards the elevator, Chloe’s door opened up and the redhead walked out of her apartment.

“Oh. Hi! Good morning Beca.” Chloe greeted her, frowning slightly as she noticed Beca’s uncomfortable demeanor. “Are you okay?”

“Great.” She quickly answered. “Yeah, just uh- just great.”

Chloe laughed. “So why are you just standing there?”

The brunette shrugged. “Uh. No reason. Just enjoying a peaceful moment.”

It made Chloe chuckle while shaking her head slightly. “Well, here’s your mug back, weirdo.” She added a wink as she said the last word, causing Beca’s cheeks to redden. “Thanks again for that, by the way, it was delicious.”

“You’re welcome.” Good, so maybe Chloe didn’t think the mug had been her way of trying to give Chloe her number. Which would be better, because that was _definitely_ weird.

“Have a good day, Bec.”

Bec? Where in the hell had that come from?

“Uh.. yeah uh.. you too, Chloe.”

There was no way in hell Beca was going to survive living next to her for much longer. She was already barely holding on and they had had two actual conversations. Three, if you counted the one-minute introduction that had happened when Chloe moved in almost a year ago.

Now that Chloe had left her alone in the middle of her hallway, there was really no way to rush to work. After all, she had a long day ahead of her and she might as well rest a little bit before going. As she turned around and entered her apartment, her phone chimed and vibrated in her pocket, announcing a new message.

She reached for the device, frowning when she noticed the message was from an unknown number. Curious, she opened it up.  
 _  
+1 (347) 414-0327_ _  
_ _Hey Becs,_ __ _Thanks again for the coffee, it was great._

A second message arrived as soon as she finished reading the first one.

_+1 (347) 414-0327_ _  
_ _Also, you could have just asked for my number, you know ;) I wouldn’t have minded. Although I appreciate the originality. xx C_

She was _so_ screwed.

* * *

 

Despite the text messages from Chloe, Beca was able to work on her mix decently enough, and was actually able to leave work a little early that day. She hadn’t responded to the messages though, not able to figure out what to say to something like that. Of course, she could have just brushed Chloe off and told her that wasn’t the reason why she gave her the mug (which was actually true) but then also, _if_ there ever was a chance of the redhead liking her back (it felt insane just thinking that, despite the fact that Chloe’s message _had_ come across a little flirtatious) she was for sure going to ruin it by saying that and pretending like it was just a dumb mistake (which it actually was).

So instead, she hadn’t said anything, buying herself some time and hoping that maybe she would come up with something later. Or maybe tomorrow.

Or maybe tonight, after a couple of drinks.

Which probably wasn’t a good idea.

* * *

 

It was close to 7:30 pm when there was a knock on her door, which was odd, because she wasn’t expecting anyone and she was _definitely_ not social enough to have friend’s randomly come over, especially at night.

Sure, she had a thing tonight, but she was pretty sure that nobody had said they were going to come pick her up. Besides, it wasn’t supposed to start until another hour and a half.

Her curiosity got the better of her and she walked up to the door to open it up, expecting the landlord or some kind of maintenance guy. Instead, though, it was Chloe.

She could have seen it coming.

What she _definitely_ could not have seen coming, however, was the lack of clothes that the redhead was wearing. Chloe was wrapped up in a single towel that barely came high enough to cover her breast and rested a little too high on her thigh for Beca’s comfort. Her hair was damp and drops of water were falling down on her doormat.

“Chloe.” She said while exhaling loudly.

“Hi again.”

“What uh- what are you doing here?” Beca asked, surprised she still managed to form words.

“My water is cold.”

“I’m sorry?”

She smirked at her, and for a second Beca was convinced she was onto her, could see right through her behavior. But then she shrugged and her smirk changed to an innocent smile and yeah.. she could do this.

“There’s something wrong with my shower, it keeps turning on and off and the water is freezing cold. Now, normally I wouldn’t ask but I have a date tonight. So would it be okay if I use your shower?”

For a second she felt her heart clench painfully in her chest at hearing Chloe mention the words ‘date’. But it wasn’t like she didn’t know the other woman was dating other people. Sure, she didn’t see a lot of guys come by her apartment (not that she was always watching or whatever) but Chloe was gorgeous, and she seemed to make friends with just about everyone. So really, it was no surprise that she was dating, no matter how badly Beca wanted it to be her that she was going out with. 

“Uh. Yeah. Of course.” She finally said, stepping aside and opening the door up a little wider to let the other woman into her apartment. She vaguely gestured towards a door. “It’s right over there. You can grab a fresh towel from the cabinet, if you want. They’re clean, I promise.”

Chloe smiled at her, then quickly moved to stand next to her, pecking her lightly on the cheek before walking over towards the bathroom. Just before she entered, she turned around to wink at a dumbfounded Beca, slowly letting the towel slide from her body while she did so. “Thanks, Bec.”

Beca was pretty sure she didn’t move from her spot until she heard the shower turn off.

* * *

 

She’s on the couch when Chloe emerged from the bathroom, now wrapped up in one of Beca’s own towels, which are slightly longer and come down to about her knees. Finally, she can breathe again.

“Did you enjoy your shower?” She asked, unsure what else to say in situations like this.

“Yeah, it was great. Thank you again.”

“Anytime.” Beca responded automatically, before realizing how weird that sounded. “I mean, you know, if uh- if your shower breaks again and the maintenance guy is unavailable or something just let me know.. it’s uh- it’s cool. I don’t mind.”

Chloe giggled, actually giggled. “I’ll make sure I will. Now, I have to get going, but I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

“Yeah, of course. Have fun on your date, Chloe.”

“I’m sure I will.”

And with that, she was gone.

* * *

 

**_About an hour and a half later._ **

“Short stack!” Amy yelled loudly as she wrapped Beca up in a big hug as soon as she entered the apartment. “You’re finally here!”

“I’m like, ten minutes late. Which means technically I’m early, based on my previous record.”

“That’s true,” Stacie agreed, “Beca is always late.” She walked up to her then and pulled her into her own arms. “It’s great to see you, Bec. It’s been too long.”

“It’s good to see you too.” The brunette answered, trying not to feel too uncomfortable with the way Stacie is pulling her close against her. She’s not a fan of physical contact, and normally her friends would be a little more careful with that kind of stuff.

But not tonight, because tonight they’re drunk.

It’s Amy’s bachelorette party.

Which is insane.

It’s insane because they’re 25 and she’s known Amy her entire life and now she’s getting married to this guy named Bumper that Beca really doesn’t know that well. But it’s okay. She’s happy, and that’s all that matters.

Although Beca could do without tonight.

Most of their college friends are here, and while it’s nice to see them again, she knows what kind of mess they usually get in to when they’re together and tonight is probably going to be about 1000 times worse seeing as this party is just bound to get out of control and weird _really_ fast.

And she's proven to be right, because Emily suggests a game of truth or dare not even twenty minutes later and 30 minutes into it they're all drunk and Amy has kissed Stacie twice and Emily had to run through the hallways in her underwear.

Just a regular night for them, really.

So far, at least.

Another couple of minutes later it's her turn and even though up until now she has only done truth, she's started to feel the buzz of the alcohol and god they really already know too much about her and she's sort of afraid what kind of question she'd get at this point. So, with a grin on her face she stared at her friends and said: “dare”

Immediate, everyone was cheering. Beca saying dare was a rare occasion, and they all knew it.

“Come on Stacie, what kind of awful thing are you gonna make me do?” She asked, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. She didn't pay much attention to it, figuring that it must be another party guest. She also missed the knowing look that Aubrey and Stacie gave each other.

“I,” the tall brunette started, “dare you to receive a lap dance.”

She chuckled. “Really? Sure.. alright.”

This wasn't new for them, although she had never been on the receiving end of them. Someone would sit down, another person would play some kind of ridiculously funny and anything but sexy music and then most of what followed was everyone just joking around and laughing.

She'd take it over having to kiss any of them.

While Stacie made her way over to let the new guest in, Jessica and Emily dragged her towards a chair that was now placed in the middle of the room. She sat down and a blindfold was immediately placed over her eyes, causing her to laugh.

“Is that really necessary?” She asked, slightly slurring her words.

Beca crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back in her seat, waiting for the idiotic music to start. She heard people whispering in the background, probably deciding who would get to torture Beca.

“Alright Bec, you ready?” Amy asked, awfully close.

“I mean, I guess.”

A second later, the music started. And it wasn't something ridiculous, like she expected, instead it was heavy low beats and immediately, she realized that something was wrong.

“I heard someone was getting married tomorrow.” A new, yet familiar as well voice said, and Beca frowned. What was happening?

“Uh, not me. My friend is, actually. I just-“

“We were playing truth or dare.” Amy interrupted, now clearly seated away from her.

“Good.” The voice said, and then, suddenly, her blindfold was pulled from her face at the same moment that the stranger lowered herself onto her lap. She opened her eyes and her jaw immediately fell down as she noticed who exactly was grinding into her.

“What the- Chl-“

The redhead held her finger up in front of her mouth, shushing her.

Her friends clearly hadn't heard her, cheering and yelling at her over the loud beats of the music.

Beca, however, only had eyes for Chloe. She was dressed (or well… barely dressed) in the sexiest outfit Beca had ever seen. Her skirt was short and rested high on her thighs, reminding Beca of the towel incident of before. Now, though, she could look. Even though it still felt weird. Chloe was wearing a crop top as well, showing off her abs and beautiful curves.

The music got a little more intense then, and so did Chloe’s dancing. She leaned forward so that their faces were almost touching, staring deeply into Beca’s dark blue eyes.

“Are you enjoying yourself Becs?” She whispered, making sure nobody else could hear what they were saying.

“Uh- yeah- it's uh- you're good at that.”

Chloe chuckled, then put her hands on Beca’s thighs and slowly but surely spread them apart. The other girls went crazy as they watched how Chloe moved in to stand between her legs, her chest now right in Beca’s face before she lowered herself down to the floor, maintaining eye contact with the brunette the entire time. Her hands dragged across Beca’s legs, her nails digging into Beca’s skin through her pants

She knew she was breathing hard, and she was also aware that Chloe noticed it, but it only seemed to spur her on more, the redhead’s hands now moving to her own shirt and slowly dragging it up and off her body, exposing her dark blue lacy bra underneath.

“Oh my god.” Slipped past Beca’s lips, making Chloe grin and wink at her.

“I know you can't touch right now,” Chloe responded, well aware of the rules; and although she wouldn't mind, Beca’s friends weren’t aware they knew each other so it wouldn't be smart to do. “But,” she threw her hair from one shoulder to the other while she moved up again, her hands now cupping her breasts for a second before moving down across her stomach to her hips as she followed her own movement to the beat of the song. “I might have to use your shower again later, and maybe this time, you could join me.”

Just then, the song ended and Chloe moved away from her instantly, smiling innocently as the other girls commented on how hot and awesome that was. She chatted a bit with Amy and Stacie, but Beca didn’t really listen to the conversation, too turned on and confused to make out what was happening around her. Finally, Chloe said her goodbye, leaving a stunned Beca behind.

“Damn,” Stacie said as soon and they were alone again, “that was hot! For a second I thought she was actually going to fuck you right there.”

“Dude!” Beca responded, although she couldn't really hide the blush.

“Just saying, you two make quite a pair.”

* * *

 

**_Later that same night,_ ** **__** **_Beca’s apartment building_ **

She’s sobered up a little bit by the time she gets home around 2am. But not sober enough to not almost fall down on the floor when she noticed Chloe Beale leaning against her door.

“Jesus Christ, dude! You scared the hell out of me.”

“Sorry.” Chloe replied, although she seemed anything but sorry. “Did you have a fun night?”

The brunette shrugged. “I guess that's one way to describe it.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“What uh- what are you doing here, Chlo?” The nickname accidentally slipped past her lips, but the redhead didn't seem to mind, smiling softly instead and moving aside so that Beca could open up the door behind her.

“Well,” she started to answer as she followed the younger woman inside, “that performance made me a little.. hot, and I was hoping to use your shower to cool down a little. Or did you forget our conversation from before?”

Beca chuckled awkwardly. “No I definitely didn't forget, I don't think I will ever be able to forget that, to be honest.”

“Me neither.”

“What exactly were you doing there? I mean- I uh- I thought you were in vet school.”

Chloe nodded, excepting the glass of water Beca was handing her before letting her jacket fall off her shoulders and dropping it on the edge of her couch. “I am, but it's expensive, and my friend recommended this to me. I don't do it often, and never for guys, but it pays well. As for tonight, Stacie actually personally asked me.”

“You know Stacie?”

“Yeah,” she answered, now slowly pulling her shirt over her head as well. “We've been friends for a while, but I didn't know you two knew each other until a couple of weeks ago. Then, when she asked me and I realized that you'd be there too, I couldn't say no.”

Beca’s mouth was dry. “Why?”

“I think you know why.”

Chloe turned around then, quickly unbuttoning her pants and letting them fall down onto the floor before moving towards the bathroom. She reached behind herself and undid her bra. Then, she looked over her shoulder and winked at the brunette. “Are you coming?”

Beca stood still for another minute or so, listening to Chloe turning on the water. Then, just when she thought she’d never move from her spot, the redhead started singing.

And fuck if it wasn’t just the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.

Without even being fully aware of what she was doing, she started undressing herself, letting her clothes fall down in a pile onto the floor in the middle of her apartment.

Finally, after she’d removed everything, she made her way over to the bathroom, gasping when she noticed Chloe’s silhouette through her shower curtain.

 _“I’m bulletproof, nothing to lose-“_ the redhead sang, and it was the final push Beca needed. She reached over towards the couple of candles she had in a corner of her room, using a match to light them before switching off the bathroom light. She could hear Chloe stop for a second, before she caught on what was happening and kept singing.

Beca slowly made her way over to the shower, now pushing aside the curtain and immediately making eye contact with Chloe, who was still singing.

_“Ricochet, you take your aim.”_

She doesn’t really sing, although she knows she can. She uses her own voice for her mixes for BFD and in college, Aubrey was known to start impromptu singing competitions from time to time.

So yeah, she knows she can sing. She’s just never really sang with someone else like this. But something about Chloe just makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself.

 _“Fire away, fire away.”_ She joined in, their voices harmonized beautifully, and she could see the smile starting to grow on Chloe’s face, clearly hearing what she heard.

 _“You shoot me down but I won’t fall, I am titanium.”_ Chloe’s voice was higher than hers, making them blend together even better.

_“I am titanium, I am titanium.”_

They stared at each other, unsure of what to say now, and suddenly very aware of their state of undress. Beca more so than Chloe, really, who didn’t seem too bothered by it.

“You know David Guetta?” Beca finally asked, making the other girl laugh.

“Have I been living under a rock? Yeah.” She said, looking at Beca as if she’s ridiculous for even thinking Chloe wouldn’t know it. “That song is my jam. My lady-jam. It really builds, you know?” She winked at her then, and Beca knew she was blushing.

“Chloe.” She breathed, her heart hammering in her chest as she let her eyes fall down to the other girl’s lips, and then even further down. Soon she realized what she was doing though, and quickly averted her eyes.

Chloe though, just stepped forward and grabbed Beca’s chin with her hand, forcing the other girl to make eye contact with her.

“Bec. Beca, look at me.”

She did, noticing immediately how dark Chloe’s usually blue eyes looked. “I don’t mind if you look.” The redhead said, letting her own eyes fall down to Beca’s chest, watching as the brunette uncrossed her arms now and slowly let them fall to her side.

“You’re beautiful, Chloe.”

Chloe’s smile widened even more, her hand now moving from Beca’s chin to wrap around the other girl’s waist. “So are you.”

“Are you sure?” Beca asked, still not quite sure that this was okay.

The redhead chuckled and shook her head in slight disbelief. “Beca, I’ve been waiting on you to make a move for the longest time, so yes, I’m sure.”

“You noticed?”

“Some days, I can hear you pacing in the hallways waiting for me to come out in the morning so that we can ‘accidentally’ bump into each other. And also, no guy can choose such a beautiful valentine’s day flower bouquet.”

Beca blushed and ducked her head down, not realizing she had been that obvious. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize, I like it. It’s better than guys telling me they wanna fuck me on the first date. Although, you did make me wait a _long_ time.”

The brunette smiled, suddenly realizing that yes, she had waited a long time. But that wait was about to be over, and now that she knew Chloe liked her too, she couldn’t wait a second longer.

She pushed forward, pressing herself against Chloe as she joined her under the warm stream of the water. Then, she leaned forward even further until their lips found each other. Beca immediately noticed how soft the other girl’s lips were. She always thought they would be, but the real thing was so much better than her imagination. Chloe pressed back just as hard, one of her hands coming up to tangle in Beca’s wet hair while the other one moved to her lower back.

They were now flush against each other, causing Beca to gasp and moan into the kiss. Chloe took the opportunity to deepen it, her tongue fighting for dominance with Beca’s, a battle that the brunette ended up winning after pressing Chloe up against the shower wall and surprising her with her strength.

Her hand found it’s way to Chloe’s waist, slowly moving up until she got to the other girl’s breast.

“Is this okay?” She asked, not wanting to assume even though Chloe was panting and basically pressing her chest into her hand.

“Yes, Beca, Please.”

The brunette moved her hand up, now cupping Chloe’s breast in her hand while she started placing open-mouthed kisses on her neck. She knew she was making marks, but she just couldn’t help it. Even if Chloe was going to walk out of this shower and never come back, at least she would have the physical evidence on her body for at least two weeks. The redhead also didn’t seem to mind, pressing herself even closer while her hand found it’s way into Beca’s hair again to keep her lips attached to her neck while Beca’s thumb now stroked her nipple, hardening it even more.

“Oh my god.” She said, her voice hoarse and deeper than before.

Beca’s mouth moved down slowly, kissing her collarbone and the top of her breast before it replaced her fingers around Chloe’s nipple and started sucking and biting the flesh gently, making Chloe desperate for more.

“Come up here and kiss me.” Chloe said after she couldn’t handle it anymore. She needed more, now.

Beca did as she was told and was immediately pulled into a deep and desperate kiss while Chloe’s hands now started to move up and down her own sides until they boldly cupped her breast and started toying with her nipple. “Chloe.”

“Yeah?”

“Fuck.” Beca said against her lips, feeling the other girl smile against her.

Not really wanting to give up the upper hand yet, Beca’s hand started to move down again, until it came to rest on Chloe’s lower stomach, stroking her skin softly. They stayed like that for a little bit, kissing each other deeply, until Chloe started to get impatient.

“Becs, lower, please.”

Beca’s hand slowly started to make it’s way down Chloe’s stomach, now hovering above her pussy but not quite touching it yet. She wanted to make this last. Chloe desperately tried to grind herself into the brunette’s hand, who just pulled away from her every time her hips bucked forward.

Beca smiled as she broke off their kiss and looked down at her hand as her fingers now ghosted over the other woman’s clit, teasing it with soft, barely there, strokes.

“You know what I was just thinking,” the younger woman now removed her hand completely from Chloe, letting it rest on her hip instead.

“Oh my god, can’t this wait until later?” Chloe said as she let her own hand fall from Beca’s breast.

“I was thinking,” Beca continued, “You said that you don’t like it when guys want to fuck you on your first date; do you think that maybe we should wait until our third date or something?”

Chloe didn’t respond, but instead turned them around so that Beca was now pressed up against the wall. Then, she lowered herself to the floor and placed Beca’s leg up on her shoulder. “Beca.” She said, before leaning forward to boldly lick her pussy from her opening up to her clit. “I think we’ve both done enough waiting. If you want to take me out on a date tomorrow, I’d love that, but right now, I don’t think there’s anything that can make me stop.”

“Good.” Beca responded, moaning loudly as Chloe licked her once again, “Because I really don’t want to stop.”

Chloe started to suck harder and harder on Beca’s sensitive clit while the brunette’s hand had tangled up in Chloe’s long red hair, keeping her close to her body.

“Fuck that feels so good.”

The older girl hummed against her, then brought up a finger and placed it against Beca’s opening, pressing in slowly. She was met with almost no resistance, and it made her own pussy clench to see Beca so turned on.

The brunette pushed herself down, trying to get Chloe’s fingers even deeper. Chloe felt the desperation, and immediately added another finger, causing Beca to gasp.

“I’m gonna cum soon.” She knew it was fast, but then again, it felt like the build-up had been happening over the last six months, and now she was experiencing everything at the same time and it just felt _so good._

Chloe smiled against her, licking her clit with hard and short strokes. “Come for me Beca.”

And she did. Her whole body stiffened while her pussy clenched hard around the redhead’s fingers. “Oh my god, Chloe. Fuck!” Her orgasm kept going on while Chloe continued to pump her fingers in and out of her until the feeling became too much and she pushed the other woman away from her. “I can’t.” She said, panting hard as she leaned her head back against the wall of the shower while Chloe slowly started to place soft kisses on her neck and face.

“You taste amazing.” Chloe said, and suddenly, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She _needed_ to know what the other girl tasted like.

“Get down.” She said, pushing on Chloe’s shoulders. The older girl was confused for a second, until Beca went down with her, making Chloe lie down in the half bath/half shower, never having been more glad that she had a combination situation going on. The redhead propped herself up on her elbows, watching as Beca slowly angled her body so that the stream of the water was hitting her _just right_.

“Oh my god.” Chloe panted, her head falling back against the wall.

“Yeah.” Beca responded, knowing all too well what it felt like. She was also aware that it wasn’t enough, the stream of the water being just stimulating enough to be enjoyable, but not enough to make Chloe come. It was the perfect way to tease her.

“Beca, please. I’m so wet for you.”

“I can see that.” She joked, watching as Chloe rolled her eyes and tried to move her lower body to get more stimulation. It wasn’t working though.

“That is not funny. Touch me already or I’ll do it myself.” The redhead’s hands started to make their way down her own body, but before she could reach her pussy, Beca quickly pushed them away and placed her own finger’s on Chloe’s clit, rubbing it in soft and slow circles.

“Fuck.”

“I thought you didn’t curse. I mean, I’ve never heard you say something before,” Beca replied, applying more pressure. “It’s hot.”

“You think I strip to make extra money but I don’t curse?”

“Uh- well.. to be fair I didn’t know you did that either.”

Chloe chuckled softly, which quickly developed into a moan as Beca lowered herself down and started pressing kisses to her thigh. “I’m sure there’s something your mouth can do that’s way better than talking.”

“Well, let’s see.” Beca said as she leaned forward and licked Chloe’s entire pussy, moaning as she tasted the other woman for the first time. She’d be lying if she said she had never thought about how Chloe would taste, but somehow this was better than anything she could have ever imagined.

“You’re so wet. Fuck.”

“I,-“ gasp, “told you.”

Beca continued licking Chloe’s clit while now also adding a finger, slowly pushing it into her entrance.

“Fuck, Beca. I’m so turned on. It’s not going to take much.”

Beca could feel Chloe starting to clench around her, realizing that she was close indeed. Part of her wanted to make her wait a bit more, make her beg, but she also knew that there was a 99% chance that she would get to do that later, as well as everything else she had always wanted to do with the other woman.

So instead, she just twisted her finger slightly so that it was now pushing against Chloe’s G spot while she doubled her efforts and started licking her faster and more directly.

“Oh my god! I’m gonna cum!” Chloe yelled, arching her back as far as she could.

“Do it.”

The redhead opened up her mouth, although no sound was coming out, as she started to clench hard around Beca’s finger, trapping it inside of her. Beca kept licking her throughout her orgasm, slowly letting Chloe come down from it.

“That was-“ Chloe said once she was finally calmed down, “the best orgasm I’ve ever had.”

Beca smiled, leaning forward and then lowering herself on top of Chloe so that she could kiss her, the redhead moaning as she tasted her own juices on Beca’s lips. “Wanna do it again?” Beca asked, causing Chloe to laugh.

“Definitely. Although not right now.”

“Good call.”

They just laid in silence for a little bit, both exhausted and overwhelmed by emotions. Chloe’s fingers stroked lazy patterns on Beca’s bare back and the younger girl enjoyed having the warm water fall down on her. Suddenly, she frowned, remembering something. She pushed herself up on her arms so that she could look into Chloe’s eyes.

“Hey, Chlo?”

“Yeah?” She asked, opening up her eyes so that she could look at Beca.

“Isn’t our water like.. connected. With the pipes and stuff?”

Chloe adverted her eyes and cleared her throat. “Uh, I mean, yeah.. I think so.”

Beca chuckled, immediately realizing what was going on. “So, when you said that your shower wasn’t working you were lying? Because if it was, mine must have been broken too.”

The redhead blushed a little, but then smiled softly once she realized Beca wasn’t actually upset about it.

“Sometimes,” she started, now making eye contact with Beca again as she pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips, “you just have to take matters into your own hand.”


	27. Distance - M

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from Tumblr: _After USO, Beca and Chloe are separated by distance (you can choose if they are together or not) and they try really hard to get together during the year, but every time that they manage, they just fall asleep together 'cause they're so tired (obs they can't sleep without each other so they haven't been sleeping well for long periods of time). Basically, fluffy-tired-fustrated Bechloe until one of them just decides to move._
> 
> Rating: M

_Yesterday it was 5 hours._

_Today and tomorrow are 6._

_The day after it will be 4 hours._

_She can do 4._

* * *

 

Beca’s been traveling around the country, on a tour with DJ Khaled. They started their tour only two months after the end of the USO tour, and it’s been crazy ever since. They barely had enough time to come up with new and original content. But they did it. Days and weeks without sleep paid of and Beca was proud of the material they had come up with. She was proud to present it to the rest of the world. No matter how scary. In some songs she sang, in other, she was just the producer. It worked.

She figured that once they would get on the road she would be so exhausted that all she would (or well.. could) do at nights was sleep.

Sadly though, the opposite had been true.

Because Beca didn’t sleep. She never slept.

That was, until she had decided to FaceTime Chloe one night.

“Becs?” Chloe had answered, blinking hard and then squinting her eyes at the harsh light of her phone. “Is everything okay?” Her voice sounded hoarse and low.

“Yeah. I’m okay. Are you alone?” She wasn’t sure what the deal with Chloe and Chicago was, but she did know that she didn’t want to do this if he was there.

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

She shrugged, not quite sure if Chloe could tell from the angle. “I can’t sleep.”

Chloe rolled over on her side, then put her phone up against something on the pillow next to her, and for a second it felt like she was really there. She mimicked Chloe’s position, putting her own phone up on the other pillow as well, then tucking her hands under her face and smiling softly at the redhead.

“I miss you.” Chloe said.

“I miss you too.” She responded honestly. Maybe she wouldn’t have admitted it if she wasn’t so tired, but there was no stopping her now.

“Do you want to talk?” The redhead then asked, before yawning.

A part of her did, because they hadn’t really talked much over the last two months, hadn’t had the time to, and she wondered what was going on with vet school, the Bellas, their apartment.. and Chicago. She wanted to tell Chloe all about her new music and her first ‘fans’ and everything that was happening. But she was also tired, _so_ tired. She hadn’t felt this comfortable and safe in a bed ever since she left New York.

“Not right now.” Beca answered instead, letting her eyes fall closed. “Can you stay for a little while?”

Chloe smiled. “Of course. I’ll wait until you’ve fallen asleep.”

And Chloe didn’t have to wait long, because not five minutes later, Beca Mitchell had fallen into a deep sleep for the first time in two months, a small smile still on her face while she dreamed of her best friend, the woman who she loved most in the world.

* * *

 

After that, their FaceTime goodnight sessions became more frequent. They didn’t always have the time for it, with Chloe’s busy schedule and timezones. Beca was usually up late, working on music or still performing, and sometimes Chloe was already asleep. She felt bad for waking up the other woman just so she could see her, but she also knew that Chloe would get mad at her if she missed three nights of sleep just because Beca didn’t want to bother her.

But sometimes she fought her sleep, wanting to keep staring at Chloe, keep listening to her voice. She wanted to reach out and tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, cuddle into her like they’d done in New York when it was cold and they didn’t have heating. But she couldn’t do that.

* * *

 

Then, 4 months into the tour and 6 months since they had last seen each other, an opportunity presented itself.

Beca was performing in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia was only a two-hour drive away from their small apartment in Brooklyn.

And she still had a key.

After her performance ended that night, at 9:30pm, she made a rash decision and got in her car. She had her suitcase packed and with her, even though she knew she wasn’t in that much of a rush. Her plane wasn’t leaving until 2 in the afternoon tomorrow, giving her plenty of time to sleep in and get back to Philadelphia.

She’d texted Amy, who confirmed that Chloe was indeed home tonight, and she also said that she would make sure the two of them could have the apartment to themselves, as long as she promised they could all go out for breakfast together the next day. Which was an easy promise to make, of course.

So finally, exhausted and anxious and tired, she climbed the stairs of her old apartment building and turned the lock at precisely 12:00am and entered the dark apartment. She’d forgotten how small it was, surprised when she bumped into their - or well.. now just Chloe’s - bed. She looked down, the light of the streets of New York illuminating the bed and Chloe just right, making her look even more beautiful than she normally already looked. Or maybe it was the fact that Beca hadn’t seen her in such a long time.

She knew now. She knew that she wasn’t together with Chicago. And she knew that Chloe liked her. It was weird, finding out about that when she wasn’t actually there to do something or say something. They’d been face-timing when Chloe had suddenly revealed her feeling to her, after Beca kept pushing her to tell her why it hadn’t worked out with Chicago.

Finally, the redhead had just yelled: “Because I’m in love with you, you idiot.”

That had shut her up for sure.

Beca had just stared at her for a little bit, trying to come up with a good answer. She knew what she felt, she was certain of it and she’d been trying to find a way to tell Chloe for a while now. But, just when she was about to respond, the redhead had interrupted her.

“Chloe I-“

“I know. But not right now. It’s too much.”

She’d understood. It was too much. They weren’t in the same place, and Chloe’s relationship had just ended. She needed to focus on school.

The timing couldn’t be worse.

Still, she couldn’t stop herself from reaching out and finally tucking that stray strand of hair behind Chloe’s ear, like she’d been wanting to do for the last couple of months, her finger lingering longer than necessary.

She quickly undressed herself and changed into an old Bella shirt that she still had at her old apartment before slipping under the covers to face Chloe, who was still breathing deeply and calmly.

“Chlo.” She said, reaching out to stroke soft patterns on the woman’s hand that was laying on top off the covers.

“Chloe.” Beca tried again, a little louder this time.

It finally worked. Chloe stirred in her sleep.

“Becs, did I forget to turn my phone off again?” She asked, still not opening her eyes. 

Beca smiled, but didn’t say anything. She couldn’t believe Chloe still didn’t realize this was actually happening.

The redhead started patting the pillow where Beca was currently laying, clearly looking for her phone, until her hand suddenly found Beca’s, making her squeal and almost fall out of the bed.

“What the-“

“Chloe, it’s me.” Beca said, reaching out for the other woman.

Chloe’s eyes widened instantly. “What are you doing here?”

Before Beca even had time to answer, the redhead wrapped her arms tightly around her, hugging her like she hadn’t seen her in years. Although, Beca had to admit, that’s what it felt like.

“I was in Philadelphia today.” Beca explained, her arms still wound tightly around the other girl’s neck.

“So you-“

“I drove her after my performance. I just- I had to see you.”

Chloe pulled back then, Beca now noticing the tears on her face. She reached out and wiped them away, making Chloe smile softly at her.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too, Chlo.”

The redhead nodded and smiled once more, before gesturing to Beca to turn around while she slid back under the covers herself. The brunette immediately did as she was told, chuckling when Chloe pulled her flush against her, Beca’s back now pressed up against the redhead’s front.

“I thought we agreed that if we ever did this I would be the big spoon.”

Chloe laughed softly, pressing a small kiss to Beca’s neck. It was daring, but they both didn’t care right now. “I never agreed to such a thing; we both know you’re definitely the little spoon.”

She rolled her eyes, even though she knew Chloe couldn’t see it. “Fine, but only for tonight.”

“Do you want to talk?” Chloe asked, but once again, she was too tired.

“Sleep now. Talk tomorrow.”

Chloe nodded, Beca feeling the movement behind her. “That sounds good. Goodnight Beca.”

“Goodnight Chloe.”

* * *

 

The next time it happened she was in Boston.

Boston was a four-hour drive and probably too long but her show had ended early that day, plus it was a Saturday so Chloe had the next day off.   
She also wouldn’t have to travel again until Monday, meaning they would actually get to spend some time together, which was more than she could ever hope for.

This time, she did text her.

**I’m in Boston tomorrow**

_I know. I looked up your schedule_

**It’s only four hours**

_Yeah_

**Do you want me to come?**

_Do you want to?_

**Yes**

_Good. Me too_

**I won’t have to be back until Monday.. would you like to spend Sunday together as well??**

_Beca.. there’s nothing I want more. (well, unless it’s an unlimited amount of days, but I’ll take what I can get)_

**One day, Chloe.**

They had spent two nights and one entire day together, and it was more than enough to convince Beca that once this tour was over, she was going to have to do everything to make sure that they would never have to spend another night apart.

“I want to kiss you.” Chloe had said to her on the second night, laying face to face and staring at each other, tired but not wanting to go to sleep. Because sleeping meant that it would be Monday and Beca would have to catch a flight to Austin and then they wouldn’t see each other again for at least a few months, as she was going to be touring in the south and then back to the west coast for a little bit.

“Me too.” Beca responded, smiling for a second but then letting it fade just as fast. “But we can’t.”

“Why?” Chloe asked, her fingers stroking Beca’s face and hair.

“Because then I’ll never be able to leave.”

“Then don’t.”

“Chloe.” She warned.

“I know. I’m sorry. I know that’s selfish of me.. I just- I feel like timing is never on our side. There was Tom and then Jesse and Chicago and now that we’re both single you’re not even here and I just.. it’s hard.”

“I know. It’s hard for me too. Which is exactly why I want to wait. I don’t want to make this harder for us. In a few months this will all be over and then I’ll have a steady job and can work on my music without having to travel much and then I’ll come home to you every night.”

Chloe smiled softly, a small tear rolling down her cheek. “You promise?”

“I promise.”

* * *

 

Just like Beca had thought, they didn’t see each other until three months later.

They’d taken a small break from their tour in L.A after traveling through the South and West before making their final couple of stops in the East coast before finishing.

They were in Washington DC, and Beca was finally going to be able to see Chloe again. They would FaceTime at least three days a week, Chloe knowing all too well Beca barely slept without her, but it wasn’t the same as actually being with each other. Now that Beca knew how good it felt to have Chloe wrapped around her, she never wanted anything else.

She was exhausted. Today was a long day, and she knew she wouldn’t make it to their apartment until 2am. She probably shouldn’t even go, because her flight was leaving at noon, meaning she would have to get up again around 6 and leave right away, but there was no way she was backing out now. Someone else was driving her (she had those things now, drivers and stuff) so hopefully, she could get some sleep on the way there.

* * *

 

“Chloe.” She said quietly, dropping her coat and clothes on the floor, not even bothering to properly clean up the mess she’d already made before stumbling over to the bed. She couldn’t even make it to the other side, instead opting to slide in behind her, spooning the other woman for once. Chloe stirred in her arms.

“You’re cold.”

“Sorry.”

“What time is it?”

“Late. You should go back to sleep.”

“Then why did you come at all?” Chloe asked, as if that wasn’t clear.

“I told you. I needed to see you.”

Something was wrong. She could tell by the way Chloe was tense in her arms, and refused to turn around to look at her.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, but the other woman just shook her head.

“Nothing. Just go to sleep Beca.”

She didn’t want to. She wanted to talk. She wanted to ask Chloe what was really wrong. She wanted to ask her why she could feel her softly crying and shaking in her arms. But she couldn’t. She was tired, too tired, and her body betrayed her and dragged her into a deep sleep.

* * *

 

Things were different after that night.

They were losing patience, feeling as if they were standing still too long; two strangers on different platforms trying to get on the same train.

She wasn’t sure when she’d be home. Their tour had already been extended, and she didn’t want to make Chloe promises she couldn’t keep.

It was different for her, she was doing all these things and seeing all these parts of the country she’d never seen before. Time went by fast for her, living her life while she slowly made her way back to the other woman. But Chloe was still stuck in that same apartment doing the same things every day and having to stare at an empty pillow - Beca’s empty pillow - every night.

It made it harder, and she knew that.

Chloe was just waiting for her.

And she was getting tired of it. 

* * *

 

**_One month and 10 days later_ **

She can’t believe it.

She’s performing in New York tonight. Her last performance. Her last day of the tour.

She’s exactly 25 minutes from Chloe’s apartment.

But that’s not where she’s sleeping tonight, and neither is Chloe, although she doesn’t know that yet.

In fact, she doesn’t know about a lot of things that are happening tonight.

Beca has been planning this for a little over a month, ever since she realized that she was going to have her final performance on this day, in this venue. She’s been planning the other stuff for much longer, basically ever since Boston.

Chloe is going to be picked up from work by Amy and Aubrey tonight, who will be taking her to a pre-party with all the other Bellas, who will then have their own little reunion party before they make their way over towards the venue, where they will watch Beca perform with DJ Khaled, as well as a dozen other performers, who have all come out to celebrate this last evening with them.

Beca will even be singing a duet with Justin Timberlake, something she just heard about not two weeks ago. How crazy is that?

Their tour was a huge success, bigger than they had ever thought it would be, and Beca had her friends to thank for this. So inviting them as VIP guests was really the least she could go.

And then, after the show, Beca was going to take Chloe somewhere else, as a special surprise.

As nervous as she was about the show, she was definitely more nervous about that. Although she was pretty sure Chloe was going to take it well.

* * *

 

She has had eyes on her friends - or well.. mostly Chloe - during the entirety of her performance. She just can’t believe they’re all here. She knows she doesn’t tell them often enough but she really does love these girls. She would have never gotten where she is without them.

She hugged them all after, happy to see them and unable to stop the small tears from forming in her eyes, something Amy and Aubrey definitely teased her with way too many times.

Beca hugged Chloe the longest of all, pulling the redhead flush against her. “Did you like it?”

“Beca, I loved it! You’re amazing!”

She beamed at her as she pulled back, then turned around to face her other friends. It was weird, them all being here, about a year and a half after the end of the USO tour. It felt like nothing and everything had changed at the same time.

Maybe it was because they would always be the same people to each other. They would always be there, right by each other's side no matter which direction they went in. Beca was famous now, yet her friends still treated her the same and made sure not to make too big of a deal out of this. She found comfort in this, them being the same old predictable friends. She was sure they’d tease her later about something, and she hoped they would too. It was part of what they did.

“Thanks for coming, guys.” She said honestly, earning her a smile from Aubrey. Those were still rare too.

“You’re welcome, Beca.”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t have missed it for the world short stack.” Amy agreed, punching her shoulder playfully.

“Are we all still on for..?” She asked, immediately interrupted by CR.

“Hell yes, we are. You know I need a break from my job.” Cynthia Rose said, and Flo nodded as well.

“What’s happening?” Chloe asked, and Beca’s heart skipped a beat. She’d forgotten that Chloe wasn’t aware of what was happening tomorrow, or the couple of days after that.

“Nothing. Just dinner tomorrow.” She tried to play it off, although she was pretty sure the other woman could tell something was off.

“Well,” Emily said, “I’d love to stay and talk a bit more, but I’m sure we’ll all catch up at … dinner tomorrow.”

The others nodded as well, quickly saying their goodbye’s before leaving Chloe and Beca alone.

“Are you going to tell me what’s happening?” The redhead asked as Beca reached for her hand, not wanting to waste another second without touching the other woman.

“Not yet.” Beca said, a soft smile tugging on her lips.

“I thought your publicist told you to be careful with this stuff.” Chloe held up their joined hands, causing Beca to shrug as she just squeezed the older girl’s hand.

“I also told him I don’t really care. Come on, let’s get out of here before they make me give interviews.”

The redhead nodded, following Beca outside to where a car was already waiting for them.

“You ready to go home?”

“I’ve never been more ready.” Chloe said, leaning her head on Beca’s shoulder and letting her eyes fall closed.

* * *

 

“Chlo. Chloe, we’re here.” Beca whispered, her hand softly stroking the tired girl’s hair as she tried to wake her.

“Sorry.” Chloe mumbled in response, “I guess I was tired.”

“It’s okay.”

Beca got out the car first, then held out her hand for Chloe to take as she helped her out as well. As soon as they were on the sidewalk, the redhead frowned. “We’re not in Brooklyn.”

Beca laughed, then shook her head. “No, we’re not. We’re still in Manhattan.”

“Why?” The redhead asked and she frowned slightly, clearly confused.

“Just.. come with me, okay?”

Beca reached for her hand again as she made her way over towards a large building.

“Bec,” Chloe tried, pulling on her hand as she tried to stop her, “I don’t think we can just walk in there.”

“Chloe. Trust me, please.”

The redhead finally stopped arguing and let herself be guided over towards the building. She looked around herself, feeling out of place even in her beautiful dress. This place was high end for sure, and she wondered what they were doing here.

“Ms. Mitchell?” She was snapped out of her thoughts as she watched Beca interact with an employee of the building, talking to him in a hushed tone before he handed something over and mentioned something about everything being in place, as far as she could tell. Beca then turned back towards her, and for the first time, Chloe noticed that she looked nervous. How could she have been calm the entire evening, even when performing with Justin Timberlake, but now she was nervous? What was going on? She decided not to ask, knowing Beca didn’t want her to right now.

“You ready?” The brunette asked as they made their way over towards an elevator, swiping a card before pressing one of the numbers.

“Uh.. yes?” She answered, although not sounding totally convinced. “This is a really nice hotel Beca.  It uh- it looks expensive.”

The brunette turned to her and smiled, but didn’t answer until the elevator door binged and opened up to reveal a beautiful penthouse, with open windows overlooking most of Manhattan, including Central park.

“It’s not a hotel, Chlo.” 

Instantly, Chloe froze, turning around to face Beca who was still standing close to the elevator.

“I’m sorry, what?”

The brunette smiled once more, clearly finding Chloe’s confusion amusing, before pointing at a wall, as well as a small dresser next to the large couch.

“Oh my god. Beca- what is going on?” Chloe walked closer to the wall, her eyes now landing on the pictures that were framed on it. Pictures she knew all to well.  
  
There was her and Aubrey, from when they had first became friends in their freshman year of college, all the Bellas, Chloe with her family, Beca on tour, as well as a few cute pictures of Beca and Chloe together.

Beca watched, crossing her arms as she let Chloe discover the place.

“I’m serious Bec,” Chloe said, now staring at the cabinet that held their Bella prizes. “What is this?”

The brunette let out a deep breath, before grabbing Chloe’s hand and guiding her further into the apartment, towards what Chloe soon realized was the bedroom. There, on top of the luxurious king-sized bed were their old pillowcases as well as Chloe’s favorite stuffed animal that she’d had ever since she was a baby.

Beca leaned against the door, watching as Chloe lowered herself down onto the comfortable bed and grabbed the animal.

“This is ours.” Is all she explained then. “I mean, if you like it. Because I’m sure I can get another one I just- this one is close to the park and your school so I thought it’d be best and I already made sure everything is safe and stuff so we-“

“Beca!” Chloe interrupted, her eyes wide as she quickly walked back over towards the brunette, grabbing her hands and forcing her to focus on her. “You need to tell me what’s going on now! Seriously.”

“Right.” She finally seemed to understand that she wasn’t making a lot of sense right now. “So.. a while ago I realized that once this tour was over I wanted something else, something steady. Preferably with you there. I also knew that going back to that Brooklyn apartment wasn’t going to be ideal, but I wasn’t sure what else to do. So, when Theo offered me a job as a producer at their New York location, alongside with a great deal for a place like this, I just couldn’t say no. So, I’ve been arranging this for the last two months probably, and while you were out today Emily and Jessica helped move some of your stuff, to make it look homier to you. I’m not- you know, you don’t have to say yes. But I want to do this. You and me, I mean.”

Chloe’s vision was clouded by tears, but that didn’t stop her from smiling widely. “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Beca?”

She grinned back at her. “I’m asking you to move in with me, and yeah, I uh- I mean, you being my girlfriend would probably come with that, unless you just want to be friends first, which I would understand-“

Beca was cut off by Chloe’s lips against hers. The redhead deepened the kiss almost instantly, letting her tongue stroke against Beca’s for a few minutes before she pulled back.

There was time for that later. Right now, they needed to talk. And she needed more information about all of this.

“So.. you like it?”

“Beca, this is- I mean, I don’t even know what to say. Are you sure you want this?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t want you to do this just for me, I know L.A has always been your dream and stuff.”

Beca quickly leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Chloe’s lips.

“Chlo, while I love you for saying that, I need you to know that I really do want this. Being in L.A meant that I’d have to do more singing and performing, and that’s not where my heart is. I want to produce, make my own mixes. And I want you to be there when I get home. I want to walk in and make dinner for you and cuddle with you while we talk about our day and then I want to go to sleep and wake up to you and do it again and again and again.”

Chloe smiled, then ducked her head down, blushing slightly. “I can’t believe you just said all of that.”

“I know, me either. But I’ve been practicing for a while.”

They stared at each other for a minute, before Chloe finally got up and started to walk out of the bedroom. “So, is it okay if I check out our new place?”

Beca nodded. “Yeah, definitely. Also, I have one final surprise, if that’s okay.”

“There’s more?”

“Just this one last thing.”

Chloe nodded enthusiastically, clearly excited to hear the last part of her surprise.

“So, remember when me and the other Bellas were talking about dinner tomorrow?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Chloe said, remembering the confusing conversation from before.

“Well, actually, I arranged for us all to go to a private beach house in the Hamptons for a week. I booked it and everything. Everyone got off of work, and I knew you’d have time off from school so… you wanna go?”

Chloe didn’t even answer, she just jumped into Beca’s arms and hugged her as tight as possible. “I don’t deserve any of this.” She said, pressing a kiss to her girlfriend’s neck.

“You do though, Chlo. You’ve been so patient with me, throughout all these years, and I cannot thank you enough for always being there for me, even when you thought it was hopeless. I want to give you everything you deserve. I know you’ve missed your friends, and they’ve missed you too. This was really the least I could do.”

Another tear rolled down Chloe’s cheeks as she opened her eyes to look at her new - extremely large - apartment. She couldn’t believe this was all happening. Beca was here, in her arms, and she as going to stay with her. They had a place of their own, and not just any. It was the most beautiful apartment she had ever seen, and she would get to share it with the most beautiful girl she knows.

“When are we leaving?” She decided to ask, not quite sure what else to say.

“Tomorrow around noon. I wanted us both to sleep in a bit. I think we deserve a break.”

Chloe smiled. “I know sleep is important and all, but are you still going to allow me to thank you for all of this tonight?” She winked at the other woman then, slowly letting her fingers fall from Beca’s face down to her collarbone and to the top of her shirt. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”

Beca swallowed hard, and then started to push on Chloe’s waist, slowly guiding her back to their bedroom. “I mean, I suppose that would be okay. After all, we’ve been doing too much actual sleeping around each other lately. It might be time for something else.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”


	28. Loud - G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Could you maybe do a bechloe one shot inspired by the song “nothing really matters” by Mr. Probz?_
> 
> Rating: G

Loud.

That’s what Beca likes.

Loud music and heavy beats and headphones.

Everything to mute the voices around her, within her.

When she was younger her parents made her play classical music on the piano. They’d listen to it in the car too. They always thought it would help her with her anxiety, said that it would help calm her mind. According to them, it was the perfect outlet.

But it was never like that, especially not after her mother died.

“Rebeca! Lower the damn volume! You can’t even hear yourself think!” Her father would yell up the stairs.

He didn’t know that that was exactly why she liked it.

It became an obsession after that. Listening to it wasn’t enough anymore. After a while, she knew the music too well. She knew what was next and what it would sound like. Even hearing something for the first time she could tell how the song was going to go.

Predictability made room in her mind for thoughts and worries, so that didn’t work anymore.

That’s when she learned how to mix.

She bought her first piece of equipment at 14, and at 15 she had her first couple of mash-ups that she was actually proud of. That she wanted others to listen to. She listened to music differently when she was working, she’d focus and get so lost in it and she would forget time and everything around her. Eventually, she would usually fall asleep behind her desk after midnight. Those were the best kinds of days.

It got a little better when she was older. She didn’t need music as much, but it was still a perfect coping mechanism.

Her headphones had become a necessary accessory. She wouldn’t get out of the house without them. Sometimes she’d be blasting music, other times opting to just have them on without anything playing. It would still mute the voices of the people around her.

Nobody besides her dad had ever questioned why she felt the need to use this, listen to this. But then again, she also never really got close enough to anyone else for them to care, or ask.

That is, until now.

Chloe Beale is unlike anyone she’s ever met.

Or, well, she’s the kind of person she has successfully avoided all throughout her life up until now. She knew it when she saw her. She’s the kind of person that just loves people and friendships, and she likes to make others feel good about themselves, likes to drag them out of their comfort zone to prove they can do and be more.

Beca doesn’t like any of that.

Yet still, Chloe had jumped into her shower and had somehow made a place for herself in Beca’s heart.

Falling in love with her was just the next logical step. Because how could she not? How could anyone not fall in love with her? It wasn’t something that shocked her, it wasn’t even something that she noticed happening until one day she found herself staring at Chloe during practice and wishing she could kiss her.

After that, there was no stopping it. She’d fallen hard for the other girl, and now music became a new sort of escape. A place where she could not only forget about her worries, but also forget about her unrequited love. Music forced her to concentrate, forced her to occupy her mind so that it couldn’t think about how blue Chloe’s eyes were, or how this morning her hand lingered on her lower back when she moved past her in their shared Bella kitchen. It makes her forget how Chloe’s laugh sounds when she’s drunk and giddy and how she sometimes looks at Beca in a way that makes her almost think that maybe it’s not so unrequited after all (which is painful, because it is, unrequited, she means).

The others complain. Not too much, because they know they wouldn’t be anywhere without her and her mashups but they wonder if this is really all stuff for the Bellas or her internship. They wonder if she needs to be blasting it in the middle of the day, or how her headphones are suddenly always on her head and she’s not listening to their questions or being a part of conversations (not that she was much before, but it’s definitely less now). She stops coming up with excuses after a while. And they kind of just accept it.

Well, everyone but Chloe, of course. She’s the only one fascinated with what Beca does. She’s the only one who actually shows an interest in how she does what she does. She always had. Ever since that first moment, back when she just got bailed out of jail by her dad and ex-boyfriend and all the Bellas were in a room and while none of them seemed to care much about her ideas, Chloe had walked right up to her and told her: “I didn’t know you were into this stuff.” Back then, she had just brushed her off, not giving her more than a ‘yeah’.

But now, it’s become this thing where Chloe comes into her room after dinner and just sits on her bed and watches her work. It’s distracting, really, and she has to turn the volume of her headphones way up in order to block the feelings and thoughts running through her head as she tries not to imagine turning around in her seat and walking over to Chloe only to push her back on the bed and kiss her. Hard.

Because that’s what she would do if she could. And maybe then she’d let her listen to some of the mixes that nobody has ever heard before as she slips the headphones onto the other girl’s head and cuddles into her side.

See, this is why she needs better headphones. She’s been complaining for a while.

It’s almost 7 at night, and she’s turning up the volume, knowing what’s next. Chloe has a big test tomorrow, which probably means she doesn’t want to study for it, and it also means that her form of distraction is going to be Beca and her music.

And just like that, the redhead appears in her line of vision as she walks up the stairs, her hand on the railing. She can feel the other girl’s eyes on her, but doesn’t acknowledge her.

Chloe doesn’t interrupt her either, she just drops down onto Beca’s bed and opens up her books again. The brunette looks at her, looks at the small pout on Chloe’s lips as she seems to go over a particularly hard part.

Then, she turns back and continues on working.

It isn’t until twenty minutes later that Chloe finally decides to make a move. She walks over to Beca’s desk, slightly startling the small brunette as she places a hand over her shoulder and leans in a little closer so that she can see what’s on her screen.

“Dude!” Beca yelps as she slips the headphones off her head. “You scared me.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to, but you couldn’t hear me.”

“Right. What’s up?”

Chloe shrugs her shoulders, then straightens up and lets her body rest against Beca’s, who’s still sitting. “Just studying for this test.”

“How’s it going?”

She shrugs again, which is enough of an answer for Beca. Chloe is smart, really smart, but she has a hard time focusing from time to time.

“You want me to quiz you?” They do that sometimes, even more so lately, and Beca can tell how much Chloe appreciates it.

“You’d do that? Aren’t you working on internship stuff?”

She nods. “I mean, sorta, but that can wait. It’s just this thing I’m doing with Emily, and I have to wait for her anyways.”

Chloe smiles softly. “Are you sure?”

“Just get your ass back on my bed, Beale.” Beca gestures over towards where Chloe’s books are still laying, missing the smirk on the other girl’s face.

“That’s a smooth way of asking a girl into your bed.” Chloe teases, and something in her eyes makes Beca want to fire back.

“I wasn’t asking.”

The redhead raises both eyebrows, clearly taken aback by Beca’s response. She turns around then, and sits on Beca’s bed, waiting for the other girl to join her.

“So,” She starts, “What’s this test about?”

* * *

They work like that for a little while. Beca going over Chloe’s notes and quizzing her. They take the occasional break to talk about other stuff, like Worlds, or if Beca really is okay with her breakup (she is, it was a long time coming, and she just couldn’t deal with Jesse, the Bellas and her internship).

Finally, Chloe takes a deep breath after getting the same question wrong multiple times. She’s just never going to get this.

“Can we take a break and just listen to some music?” Chloe asks.

Beca knows, then gets up from the bed and walks over to her computers. She opens up Spotify and clicks on her favorite playlist, the one she and Chloe usually listen to when they’re together.

“Actually,” The redhead says, “do you mind if I play something?”

Beca freezes. This is dangerous. They’re not working on a set, or still studying. There’s nothing that will distract Beca. And to make it even worse, Chloe is here, right next to her, listening to the song with her.

“Never mind.” Chloe says, seeing the look on Beca’s face. “It’s uh- it’s cool. It’s your laptop anyways.”

She looks honestly disappointed. And while Beca normally isn’t the kind of person who cares about letting others down (that’s kind of what she does), her heart clenches painfully in her chest this time and she’s up and shaking her head in an instant as she turns back to look at Chloe. “No, I’m sorry. I was just thinking. What do you want to listen to?”

Chloe’s smile is bright enough to light up the entire room. “Nothing really matters’, by Mr. Probz,” She says, “Do you know it?”

Beca shakes her head.

“He’s this rapper from the Netherlands. But he does stuff like this too, sometimes.”

The brunette nods, searching through Spotify as she tries to find the song. “It doesn’t sound very ‘you’. The uh- the nothing matters thing, I mean.”

Chloe smiles. “Just listen to it, Beca.”

Beca finally finds the song, taking a deep breath as the piano chords fill the room. She makes her way over towards the bed again, slowly lowering herself down so that she’s laying next to Chloe.  
  
_When she's O.K._  
 _Then I'm alright_  
 _When she's awake_  
 _I'm up all night_  
 _Nothing really matters_  
 _Nothing really matters_

The brunette can feel her body tensing. She hasn’t listened to something like this in a very long time, and the only moments that she had it ended with tears. She can already tell that this is something that’s going to hit her hard, and she has nothing to distract herself with.

“I love this song.” Chloe says softly, before moving her head so that it’s now resting against Beca’s shoulder. The brunette tries not to think about how Chloe’s small shift has moved their hands closer together, and how she can now feel the other girl’s knuckles brushing against hers with every breath they take.

_I see her face_   
_And in my mind_   
_I seize the day_   
_Whenever she's nearby_   
_It's like nothing really matters, no_   
_Nothing really matters_

Beca dares to sneak a quick glance at Chloe, and even though she can’t see her face from this angle, she can tell that the other woman is listening. _Really_ listening. She swallows hard, trying not to let the words hit her. But she can’t help herself. Something about it, and about listening to it with Chloe leaning into her is just making it too much for her.

A tear falls down her cheek, and she uses her left hand, the one that isn’t currently brushing against Chloe’s, to wipe it away. All her life she’s been trying to distance herself. Distancing herself from family, from friends, from her own feelings. She’d figured out how to mute the voices within herself, how to deal with difficult stuff. But now, now everything is hitting her all at once and she can’t stop it. Because for the first time in over ten years, she is actually listening. Not just to the beat, and the notes on the paper, but to the song itself as a whole. To how everything complemented each other, to the lyrics, to what they intended to say.

_She completes me_   
_How she reads me_   
_Right or wrong_

_It's so clear she's_   
_All that I need_   
_All I need_   
_I know what it feels like_   
_I know what it feels like_   
_Swimming through the stars when I see her_   
_And I don't need air 'cause I breathe her_

“Becs.”

She doesn’t even hear Chloe saying her name, until she feels the other woman lifting her head from her shoulders and she can feel Chloe’s burning gaze on her face.

“Beca, what’s wrong?”

She shakes her head, not wanting to talk about this. It’s too much, especially for tonight. “Can we- can we just listen?” Is what she asks instead.

Chloe nods slowly, clearly still worried but also knowing not to push too much. She brings up a hand to wipe away a tear that’s threatening to fall down Beca’s chin and lets her fingers linger for a moment.

_When I'm lost_   
_And need a sign_   
_She leads the way_   
_And I'll be fine_   
_Nothing really matters_   
_Nothing really matters_   
_She completes me_   
_How she reads me_   
_Right or wrong_   
_It's so clear she's_   
_All that I need_   
_All I need, yeah_

“Do you need your headphones?” Chloe asks. She knows her better than anyone has ever known her, even her own parents. She seems to understand what goes through Beca’s mind even when she can’t quite figure it out. So of course, the other woman has figured out that Beca’s headphones are more than just an expensive piece of equipment.

“No, uh- I’m okay.”

The redhead nods, then leans back again, breathing slow and steady, and a little deeper than normal. That’s when Beca realizes that her own breaths have quickened, and that her palms are starting to get sweaty. She hadn’t even noticed before. But she does now, and she also realizes that Chloe is trying to calm her down, without actually telling her. She remembers this, from when she was just twelve years old and her therapist told her to close her eyes and take deep breaths, that it would help her take her mind off her problems and worries.

It never worked, until now.

As she closes her eyes and breaths with Chloe, she can feel herself starting to feel calmer, her palms starting to feel less clammy and her heart a little lighter.

Needing to do something to let the other woman know that what she’s doing is working, Beca reaches out, only having to move her hand around a little bit in order to intertwine her fingers with Chloe’s. She gives her hand a gentle squeeze as they listen to the song together.

 _Every time I see her, oh_  
Well _she's O.K._  
 _And I'm all right_  
 _When she's awake_  
 _I'm up all night_  
 _Nothing really matters_  
 _Nothing really matters_

They lay in silence after the song ends, not wanting to say anything to break the moment between them. Beca knows that Chloe probably wants to talk to her about this, but she’s just feeling too much at the moment. She can’t even make sense of her own feelings, let alone try to communicate them to someone else.

What happens, however, surprises her. Chloe moves up slowly, then presses a small kiss to her cheek. She looks Beca briefly in the eye, then whispers: “I’ve been listening to that song for a while because it reminds me of you.”

She lets the brunette process that for a moment before she moves off the bed, taking her forgotten books with her. “Come find me when you feel like you’re ready, okay? I love you.”

All Beca can do is nod.

* * *

Two weeks later, Chloe finds a USB stick in the form of an old cassette laying on her bed.

She immediately knows who it’s from.

There’s a small note attached to it too.

Thank you for making me see music in a way I was never able to.  
I know it’s not much, but it’s me trying to tell you..  
x B

She doesn’t have to clarify what she’s trying to tell her. Chloe knows. She’s known for a while now, and she also knows that this is different than everything she’s ever experienced before. She can’t handle this the way she usually does, head first and taking risks. She has to be careful, and patient, and not take the lead.

But for Beca, she’d do it all a million times.

She plugs the USB into her laptop, smiling as a playlist opens up. She reaches for Beca’s headphones, which the brunette had left on her bed as well (another sign that she was trying, because she doesn’t let anyone touch them, nor does she go anywhere without them. Yet, Beca was out today, and here they were).

With another deep breath, she presses play and closes her eyes, letting the music wash over her as she imagines Beca lying next to her, listening and singing along softly. Some day…

_My face above the water_   
_My feet can’t touch the ground_   
_Touch the ground, and it feels like_   
_I can see the sands on the horizon_   
_Every time you are not around_

_I’m slowly drifting away (drifting away)_   
_Wave after wave, wave after wave…._


	29. The fourth hug - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Hi! I have a prompt! Beca and Chloe have just started getting close. Chloe finds her upset about something, Beca talks about it (reluctantly) and at the end of the conversation, Chloe hugs Beca. Beca doesn't know what to do and Chloe breaks the hug because Beca seems uncomfortable and normally hates physical affection. But Beca asks Chloe to hug her again. When Chloe backs off, Beca suddenly gives her a quick peck on the lips. - it's basically all cute and fluffy and very bechloe-y :)_
> 
> Rating: T

“What's wrong?”

Beca’s been sitting at the table in the small kitchen, unable to move, for about half an hour now. She’s not doing anything, just staring off into the distance. She hadn’t even heard Chloe come home about ten minutes ago, or felt the other girl’s eyes on her.

“Nothing’s wrong.” She answers, although she knows it sounds anything but convincing.

“You wanna try that again Becs?” Chloe says as she moves around the table so that she can make eye contact with Beca. “Because you were sitting like this before I took a shower and it looks like you haven’t moved at all.”

“Wrong. I got up to get some coffee.”

Chloe just cocks her head, clearly not satisfied with the brunette’s answer.

“Chloe.”

“Beca.”

They do this too often lately.

Beca refuses to talk about stuff, Chloe stares at her and annoys her until she finally gives in and shares whatever is bothering her. She wouldn’t, normally, but there’s just something about the other woman that makes her weak to her, unable to hide anything (except for her unrequited love, which she has managed to actually keep a secret from the other woman, thank god).

“I don’t want to talk about it. Not yet.”

“Fine.” Chloe says with a small smile and a shrug of her shoulders. She reaches for Beca’s mug and refills it before placing it back on the table in front of her. “Come find me when you do.”

* * *

 

“Chloe.”

The other girl stirs in her sleep, but doesn’t quite wake up. At least, not until someone starts poking her upper arm and she feels a hot breath in her ear whispering her name once more. “Chloe, wake up.”

“Becs?” She asks, her voice laced with sleep as she opens her eyes slightly and squints as the harsh lighting of their nightlight hits her eyes. “What time is it?”

“I don’t know.” Beca answers, and as Chloe focuses her eyes a little more she can tell that Beca is still wearing the same clothes she’d been wearing to work. She hasn’t gone to bed yet.

She sits up a little, watching as Beca does the same, her eyes nervously shifting between her own hands on the bed and her laptop that’s sitting on the kitchen table. Chloe gets it immediately. She pushes herself up and off the bed and makes her way over towards the table, feeling Beca’s eyes on her the entire time.

She picks up the headphones without saying anything and presses play. It’s new. It’s not a mashup either, which makes her realize that this must be something that Beca is working on for her job. She just started at BFD over a month ago, and so far she hasn’t really shared much about what she’s doing there, or how it’s going. She’d been a little worried about that in the beginning, but then again, Beca doesn’t like to share, or brag. So even if it had been going well she wouldn’t have told her.

The song finishes and she slips the headphones off her head with a small smile on her face.

“Beca. It’s good. _Really_ good.” She says honestly, because it is. She’s always known Beca was amazing, and more talented than most people she knows, but this is the first time (besides flashlight, for which she had help) that she has produced an entire song on her own (she’s sure she has, otherwise she wouldn’t have been this stressed) and it’s beautiful.

“Do you think so?” Beca asks, clearly unsure of herself as she now finally dares to make her way over towards Chloe, who stands up and nods at her.

“I _know_ so. Why are you so worried about it?”

Beca half shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess I just feel weird doing it all on my own. Plus, the client isn’t really great at communicating so I have no idea what he was looking for with this.”

She nods, understanding. Chloe would never be able to do Beca’s job, but it just makes her respect and admire her best friend even more. “I’m sure it’s going to be okay, Beca. Plus, it doesn’t matter if you don’t succeed the first time. There will be another chance. They’re not expecting you to be amazing at everything. You need to know that. You _just_ started.”

That seems to calm her down a little bit, now letting out a deep breath and smiling softly at Chloe. “Thanks, Chlo. I guess I just needed a second opinion. And you’re right too. I maybe shouldn’t put that much pressure on myself.”

The redhead shakes her head. “You shouldn’t. Trust me, it’s not going to help you in the end. Just go with what feels good to you and if it doesn’t work out you’ll learn from that too.”

Beca smiles again. “I will. I promise.”

Chloe can’t help herself even if she wanted to. It’s the middle of the night, she’s tired and unable to fight off her impulses like she normally would have (or at least, around Beca). She leans forward and wraps her arms around the small brunette, something they have only done a handful of times (three times to be exact, and she remembers each of them like it was yesterday). She moves in closer to stand between Beca’s legs as she holds her tightly. It’s fine for a second, but then she feels just exactly how stiff the other girl is in her arms, and how Beca’s arms are still by her side.

She pulls back immediately, knowing she probably shouldn’t have done that. Just because Beca is tired doesn’t mean her walls are down, or that she’s suddenly okay with physical contact.

“Sorry.” She mumbles softly, looking down at her feet.

“No uh-“ Beca tries, but the words seem to be stuck in her throat. She makes eye contact with Chloe then, and the other girl can basically see the struggle behind them. She wants to help her out, do something, but she knows that won’t help the situation. 

“Can you- uh- can you do that again?” Beca finally manages to ask, but her mind is racing and she can’t quite process what’s happening. She needs clear questions before she starts making assumptions and creates a bigger mess in the process.

Beca lets out a shaky breath, their eyes now locking onto each other once more, bright blue meeting a darker shade of blue. “Can you hug me again?” She asks, “Please?”

Chloe nods and smiles softly, trying to hide the surprise on her face and pretend this isn’t making her heart beat out of her chest. She reaches for Beca’s arm, slowly pulling the other girl close to her until she’s standing between her legs and Chloe can wrap her arms around her. She can feel Beca’s breaths hot against her neck, and it takes everything in her not to let her hands tangle in the brunette’s dark locks and move Beca’s mouth even closer to her neck.

“I’m so proud of you, Becs. For everything you do, I mean. You don’t even know how talented you are. Not even after everything we went through.”

It seems to have some kind of effect on the other girl, who’s suddenly pulling back and looking deep into her eyes. Chloe can tell they look kind of glassy and she wonders if she’s made a mistake.

But then, all of the sudden, Beca leans forward and presses a quick peck to her lips. It’s over before she’s even realized what exactly has happened. Her hand comes up automatically to touch her own lips, trying to savor the feeling of Beca’s soft lips against hers.

“I’m sorry.” Beca’s pulling back from her, eyes on the floor, and Chloe just now realizes that she thinks she’s made a mistake. That Chloe doesn’t want this. She needs to fix this.

She reaches out for Beca’s arm again, roughly turning her back around and into her arms. She probably could have used less force, because the brunette ends up crashing into her, but it’s okay, because Chloe presses their lips together before a simple groan or sign of protest can leave Beca’s mouth.

She moves her lips slowly against Beca’s, applying more and more pressure as she feels the other girl starting to respond to her kisses, Beca’s hands now coming up to tangle in Chloe’s hair like the redhead had wanted to do to her only a few minutes ago. Her own hands come to rest on Beca’s hips, keeping her close to her as she allows herself to deepen the kiss.

They stand like that, kissing for what feels like hours until Beca finally pulls away. Both girls have matching smiles on their faces as they look at each other. “That was- uh..”

“Yeah. I’ve kinda been wanting to do that for a while.” Chloe admits, not really caring anymore.

“You have?”

“Yes.”

“Me too.” Beca says in return, and it’s the best thing she’s heard all year.

Chloe lets out a small yawn, not able to help herself. She’s finally looked at the clock now, and is not surprised to see it’s almost 2am. “We should go to bed though.”

Beca nods, then quickly turns around to change in the bathroom before slipping under the covers next to Chloe, who’s already turned on her side so that she can face Beca. She opens up her arms and winks at the small brunette. Beca just playfully rolls her eyes in return.

“I guess now that this has all happened there’s no way I’m getting out of spooning, is there?”   
  
Chloe shakes her head. “No, _especially_ now that I know you secretly like my hugs.”

“Any chance you can forget about all that?”

The redhead chuckles softly. “Definitely not. Now come here.”

She doesn’t even pretend to fight it anymore, letting herself be guided into Chloe’s embrace while she sleeps soundly for the first time in years.


	30. The Club - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _La La by the Cab i feel it as a Bechloe song. would love if you could write a fic maybe along the lines with the song.. cause the one you did with Perfect was INCREDIBLE_
> 
> Rating: T

It’s hot.

It’s hot and there are people pressing up against her and the music is blasting in her ears, making her unable to hear what the bartender is asking her. She just hands him her credit card and tells him the keep the tab open, hoping that answers his question.

She walks back to Stacie carrying both of their drinks, the other girl happily accepting them as she guides them through the darkness of the club towards a more secluded area.  
  
“Are you sure we’re allowed in here?” Chloe asks as they move into what appears to be a VIP area, but Stacie just shrugs.

“Relax.” She shouts over her shoulder. “I talked to the guy, we’re good.”

Normally, she’d ask more questions, because a night out with Stacie is never dull and it’s important to stay on top of it before you end up in an aquarium at 5am with four other people you’ve never met.

Yeah, that’s happened.

On a night that started out not so different than this one, actually.

She nods at the security guard as he lets her in further and gestures to her that there’s room on the couch. Chloe thanks him briefly before sitting down, letting out a deep sigh when she finally feels some of the tension leave her body.

She’s not a fan of places like this, especially not in New York, but she figures that if she plans on moving here after she graduates college in a couple of months that she might as well get used to the city. Which includes clubs.

It’s not horrible, and the music is great. It’s just that she’s felt too many men groping her already and they have been here for about twenty minutes. But this will be better, they have their only little area now and Stacie invited some of her friends over so it’s going to be alright.

“Isn’t this place amazing?” Stacie asks her with a goofy grin on her face, nodding along to the beat of the music.

“Yeah,” She answers, “It’s pretty cool.”

She takes a sip of her drink and sinks back further into her seat, hoping the alcohol will loosen her up a little bit more.

* * *

It’s two hours later and she’s on the verge of being really drunk. Stacie cut her off not too long ago so she’s left sipping on water and staring off into space while she smiles and everything and nothing. She’s usually a very loving person, but that level of affection only increases when there’s alcohol in her system. Something Stacie knows, and definitely likes to take advantage of.

“Chlo.” The tall girl says as she nudges her side, getting Chloe to turn towards her.

“What?”

Stacie smiles, a smile which Chloe immediately recognizes as a sign that she’s up to something.

“That girl over there keeps staring at you.”

The redhead watches as Stacie’s eyes shift over briefly to the other side of the room, her own gaze now landing on one of the hottest girls she’s ever seen in her entire life. Okay, maybe that’s a bit much, but then again, she’s on the verge of being drunk.

“You think she’s cute, don’t you?”

“What?” She asks, quickly looking at her friend again.

“You were totally smiling.”

“I wasn’t!” She’s not sure why she even tries to deny it. Chloe Beale likes women and she’s proud of it. She’s always been open about that, especially around Stacie who has taken the occasional girl home herself, and it’s not like her to get flustered around someone like this either. Chloe’s more the kind of girl who likes to take risks and walk up to others, finding the challenge the best part of flirting with someone.

“She’s coming over!” Stacie then says, and to her surprise, the other girl actually is coming over. “See you later, bye!” And just like that, she’s alone on the couch.

“Hi.” A voice comes from her left not two seconds after Stacie’s left. She looks up and makes eye contact with the mystery girl, trying not to stare too much. She’s even more beautiful up close, her eyes appearing to be dark in the dimmed lights of the club. She’s wearing heavy eyeliner too, perfectly matching the black leather jacket she’s wearing over a deep red tank top that barely covers her breasts. _Oh my god, Chloe. Stop staring at her breasts. Also, stop thinking the word breasts._

She realizes she hasn’t said anything in return yet and quickly opens up her mouth to stammer out a quick “Hey” in response, knowing she’s probably slightly slurring her words. And this time, it’s not the alcohol.

“Do you want to dance?” The brunette asks, her confidence seeming to falter for a second as she smiles somewhat unsure at her.

Chloe’s eyes move back towards the dance floor, remembering how horrible it had felt to have all those people pressed up against her and bumping into her. “Uh-“ She hesitates, not quite sure if that’s the best idea. She wants to be with this girl, she really does, but there’s no way how this is not going to end up with her falling on the floor and embarrassing herself.

“Oh.” The other girl answers, and for a second Chloe worries that she thinks she’s turned her down. But then she waves her hand like she’s brushing something off. “Not there, obviously. Just- over there.” She gestures towards a place in the back Chloe had seen when she entered the VIP area.

Her silence must have made her unsure, because the dark haired girl now starts to move away from her. “It’s cool. Don’t worry about it, you know?”

“No!” She quickly says, putting her water down as she stands up. She hadn’t realized yet just how small the other girl was, but with her wearing heels and the brunette wearing simple sneakers they had a couple of inches between them and she’d be lying if she said she didn’t like it. She wasn’t used to being taller, at least not like this. “I’d like to go.”

“Great. I’m Beca, by the way.” She says it sort of uncertain, making Chloe laugh.

“Nice to meet you, Beca. I’m Chloe.”

* * *

They’ve been dancing together for at least an hour. It’s so much better in the VIP area, nobody has bothered them so far and they have plenty of space (although not too much, thank god) to dance with each other without bumping into anyone else.

Beca’s hand is currently on her waist while one of Chloe’s arms has lazily wrapped itself around Beca’s neck as she dances with her, guiding her along to the heavy beats of the music. “I love this song!” She shouts, now singing along as well. 

_You’re like a song_   
_A beautiful symphony to my eyes_   
_So take me on_   
_I wanna sing along all through the night_

She hasn’t had another drink since they started dancing, but she’s feeling drunker than she has all night. Maybe it’s something about the other girl that makes her unable to function like a normal person (although her friends would argue that’s always been hard for her).

“You’re a great singer, Chloe.” Beca suddenly whispers in her ear, causing shivers to run down her spine.

“Thank you. I’m actually in an Acapella group.”

Beca pulls back to frown at her, a teasing smirk on her face. “Isn’t that like-“

“All with our mouths, yeah.”

“Yikes!”

“Hey! It’s not that bad! One time, we sang backup for Prince.”

Beca laughs now, and it’s the best sound Chloe’s heard all night. “Sorry, I’m sorry. That’s- that’s really great, Chloe. I’ve just never met someone who’s into that stuff.”

She smiles softly, not at all offended by Beca’s reaction. “What do you do, Beca?”

_No, I’m not the type to lie_   
_But I might just start tonight_   
_Let me turn off all these lights_   
_You know that you could be my favorite lullaby_

Before the brunette can answer, another song starts, this time louder and it has her pulling Beca closer to her once again as she starts to slowly grind her lower body into Beca’s, testing the other girl’s reaction to her.

Beca freezes momentarily before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her even closer as her mouth brushes over her ear. “Would you hate it if I kiss you right now?”

She smiles against Beca’s cheek and then shakes her head, hoping the other girl can feel it.

The brunette pulls back and looks into her eyes. She can make out the blue in Beca’s eyes too now, although it’s still hard to tell with the way her pupils have dilated. There’s no more time to look though, because Beca has started to lean in closer and closer until both of their eyes slip close and she can feel the brunette’s soft lips pressed against hers.

Immediately, she’s desperate for more. Beca’s being too soft, too proper, too calm. Her body is on fire and she needs more. Chloe presses a little closer, her hand tangling in Beca’s hair at the back of her neck while she strokes the other girl’s bottom lip with her tongue, seeking for entrance.

Beca allows her to deepen the kiss, but only for a minute or so, keeping the kiss too sweet for her liking. It’s good, probably better than any kiss she’s ever had but she can feel the other woman holding herself back and she wonders why.

“Sorry.” Beca says as she pulls away from her. “It’s not what I want either, trust me. I have to go but, uh.. do you think it would be okay if I could have your number so that we could continue this some other time, preferably in a more private setting?”

Chloe looks a little taken aback, but nods anyway. She wonders if Beca’s maybe already in a relationship, or if there is something else holding her back. Whatever it is, it’s making her appear somewhat awkward as she reaches for her phone and enters Chloe’s name.

The redhead gives her her number then smiles at Beca softly. The brunette rocks on her heels, looking over her shoulder for a second before making eye contact with Chloe one last time. “I’m sorry the ending was so weird, but I promise I’ll text you, okay? It was great to meet you, Chloe.” She presses one final kiss to her lips before walking away from, leaving Chloe standing by herself in the middle of the VIP area.

* * *

_Two weeks later_

  
“I don’t know why you’re still trying to find her. She was just another girl in just another club in New York. Plus, she wasn’t even interested because she walked away like one second after we kissed. It was dumb and I’m not even that-“

Stacie places a hand in front of her mouth, effectively silencing her.

“You need to stop talking right now.”

“Why?” She asks as soon as the brunette has removed her hand from her mouth. “Like I said, it’s totally fine that she hasn’t texted me, I don’t even-“

“Chloe!”

Finally, she shuts up, realizing that Stacie probably really has something important to say if she’s behaving like this.

“I need you to listen to me and not freak out, okay?”

“Uh-“ She’s uncertain, slightly afraid too now.

“Just- it’s okay, but you need to listen.”

She nods, sitting up straighter on her bed as she looks at Chloe who’s sitting on her desk chair. Thank god her roommate had decided to go out this evening.  
  
“So,” Stacie starts, “I wasn’t even looking up Beca anymore, I swear, plus there’s too many ways to spell her name so it’s hopeless anyway. But then the other day I was looking at the club’s Facebook page, just to look into events and stuff when I found the DJ who was playing that night. Someone by the name of MITCH.”

Chloe frowns. “Why does that matter?” She had to admit, the music that night had been especially great, but she wasn’t super interested in that kind of music anyways, something she and Stacie both shared.

“Well, I looked her up and uh..” Stacie trails off then, “Well.. just look at it for yourself.”

She turns the screen of her laptop to her, and it’s opened up to someone’s Instagram. MITCH’s Instagram to be precise. She sees the name before she sees the picture. Her eyes widen instantly as they land on the picture of a hot brunette. 

“That’s Beca!” She’s pointing at the screen as if Stacie hadn’t already seen that.

“Yeah.”

“Oh my god she has like almost 4 million followers.”

“Yeah.”

“She’s _super_ famous.”

“Yeah.”

“You need to stop saying that.”

“Sorry.”

“Oh my god.” Is all she manages to say as she scrolls through the brunette’s Instagram. It’s her for sure. She doesn’t have many pictures of herself up there, mostly just stuff of work or previews of new mixes she seems to be working on, but it’s her. It’s Beca. Beca Mitchell, famous New York DJ who Chloe has never heard of.

“I feel like such an idiot now.” Chloe’s lets her head fall down into the palm of her hand, silently cursing herself.

“Why?” Stacie asks.

“Because I had no idea.”

The brunette smiles softly. “Something tells me that’s exactly why she liked you. I was watching her, you know, before she came to you. She seemed annoyed with all the attention. I didn’t think anything about it in the moment, because it could have just been her looks, but she seemed relieved, different, with you. I guess this explains it.”

Chloe nods, now also somewhat understanding Beca’s odd behavior towards her in the end. She probably shouldn’t have made out with anyone that night, knowing very well how annoying paparazzi and publicity in general can get. Although Beca didn’t seem to be the type who minded that too much, based on the girl’s profanity in her Instagram posts. But she was most likely also trying to protect Chloe in that moment.

She’s about to say something else when her phone suddenly buzzes in her palm. She looks down at it, her eyes widening when she sees it’s from an unknown number.

“Stacie!” She yelps, almost falling off the couch. “It’s her, I think.”

“What? Beca? She’s texting your right now, seriously?”

She nods. “I think so.”

“Well, read it!”

She hesitates for a moment longer before unlocking her phone and reading the messages.

_Hey Chloe, it’s Beca.  
I’m sorry it’s taken me a while to send you these, but I’m guessing by now you’ve realized who I am (that sounds ridiculous) and I guess I figured it was probably best if I left you alone. However, (again, this sounds ridiculous but I’m just going to go with it because who cares) I just can’t stop thinking about you. I haven’t been able to write new music in days because you’re stuck in my head and I just didn’t know what to do anymore. So I finally just decided to go for it and text you._

She scrolls down to the second message.

_Anyway, I guess I just wanted to say that I had a really great time meeting you. I meant it when I said I’d like to do it again, somewhat more private, and I guess I’m just hoping you can look beyond all the crap and let me take you out on a proper date._

Finally, she reads the last message, her heart already racing in her chest.

_I’d understand if you want nothing to do with me, or if you feel like you’ve been lied to because I didn’t mention anything that night. I just couldn’t. I haven’t been able to be myself like that for a long time, and it was refreshing. **You** were refreshing. So yeah.. Chloe.. would you like to go out on a date?_

“Oh my god.” Stacie says afterward, a smile on her face. “What are you going to do?”

Chloe looks down at her phone, her fingers hovering over the keyboard as she smiles. A smile which only widens as she types out her response.

And that’s enough of an answer for Stacie. 

* * *

_Come feel my heart_

_It’s beating like a drum and I confess_   
_When you’re around_   
_It’s like an army’s marching through my chest_

_And there’s nothing I can do_   
_I just gravitate towards you_   
_You’re pulling on me like the moon_


	31. The flower shop - G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Flower shop AU: You buy a weird amount of flowers and I’m concerned as to why_
> 
> Rating: G

**_Day 16_ **

Chloe Beale didn’t even look up when the bell at the door rang, signaling that a new customer had come into her shop. It was precisely 5:13pm, meaning she knew exactly who just walked through the door.

“Another bouquet of lilies?” She asked, still not looking up from the work she’d been doing on her computer.

“Excuse me?” The voice responded, sounding closer to her now.

Chloe let out a deep breath before finally looking up to make eye contact with her new favorite customer. “I was wondering if you were back for more lilies or if you were really just here to see me.”

“Uh-“ The other girl stammered, and Chloe could see a small blush appear on her cheeks. “No uh- actually, I need Gardenias today.”

The redhead smiled softly at the small brunette, walking around the counter now so that she could guide the other woman towards the back of the store, where she kept her fresh bouquets and flowers. “Well,” She said as they made their way into the special room that was kept warm and muggy in order to make the flowers bloom as well as they did, “I don’t have a bouquet of that yet, so I’d have to make one. Would you be okay with waiting here for a little bit? I could also call you when I’m done, of course, but since you only want Gardenias it shouldn’t take long.”

“Uh- well.. you don’t have my number.” Beca answered, rocking back and forth on her heels somewhat awkwardly, causing Chloe to chuckle.

“That is very true. I’d have to ask for it.”

Beca’s eyes widened for a second, before Chloe quickly added: “And then, you know, I’d, of course, have to write it down in my _very professional_ folder where I keep all my customers’ information. For shipping and contact reasons only, of course.”

The brunette swallowed hard. “Of course.”

Chloe had to admit she was having way too much fun with this. It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, but it was _definitely_ the first time that she _really_ (really) didn’t mind it. In fact, she kind of wished the other woman would just ask her out yet.

There was a comfortable silence between them as she arranged the bouquet for Beca, checking in between if she wanted more or fewer Gardenias and if she had any color preferences. Once it was done, she held out the flowers for the other girl to take, smiling fondly at her when she watched the brunette bring them closer to her face to smell the flowers for a quick second.

“Do you know what Gardenias mean?” Chloe asked as she and Beca made their way back over to the counter so that the other woman could pay.

Beca shook her head. “Why?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I was just wondering, because you buy so many flowers, you know. I figured you must either be really obsessed with them or just _really_ into me.”

The brunette’s mouth fell open at the same time that she dropped her phone on the floor, unable to process what Chloe had just said. “Actually,” She managed to say once her mouth felt a little bit less dry and she’d picked up her phone again. Chloe had to try not to laugh at the panicked expression on her face, knowing that Beca was struggling. “I uh- I work at a funeral home so I just need to buy a lot of flowers for uh- funerals, you know?”

Chloe’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I had no idea I thought you were just into me too so I kinda just decided to go-“

“I’m sorry what?” Beca interrupted her, not sure she’d heard Chloe correctly.

“What?” The other woman repeated back to her.

“Did you just say ‘into me too’?”

This time it was Chloe who blushed. “Uh.. no?”

There was a silence between them for a few seconds, both girls trying to figure out what to say next.

“I uh, I don’t actually work at a funeral home..”

Chloe’s eyes snapped up, frowning slightly as the tried to understand what was going on.

“I kinda panicked.” Beca explained with a small shrug, now trying to hide behind the flowers that she’d just bought.

This caused the redhead to laugh, finally able to relieve some of the tension. “Oh my god, you are _really_ bad at this, aren’t you?” 

“I’ve been told, yeah.”

“So you wanna tell me why you’re really buying a ridiculous amount of expensive flowers?”

Beca bit her lower lip, then slowly shook her head. “Not particularly.”

Chloe let out another small chuckle, realizing she was starting to like the other girl more and more. Maybe it was more than just a small obsession, or crush… or… well..  whatever it was, it was definitely worth exploring.

“Do you think I could convince you to tell me if I buy you dinner?”   
  
Beca’s smile slowly widened. “Possibly.”

“Great. What’s your phone number?”

“For professional use only? Or personal?”

“I’d say both this time.”

Chloe winked at her, causing Beca to almost choke on her own breath before she awkwardly pulled out a small business card and handed it over to Chloe.

“So, you’re a DJ, huh? Any songs that I might know?”

Beca shrugged her shoulders, a small teasing smirk now on her face. “Maybe. How else do you think I’m affording all these flowers?”

This time it was Chloe who was taken aback, having never expected the other woman to be someone ‘famous’. Again, she didn’t know much about Beca (barely anything), but she was learning quickly and she desperately wanted to know more. Just as she was about to ask something else, another customer entered the shop and she quickly handed Beca one of her own cards. “Anyway, _Beca_ , I’ll text you later.”

Beca smiled back at her. “Great. I can’t wait, _Chloe_.”

“Me neither.”

Just as Beca was about to exit her shop, she turned back one last time and held up the bouquet. “Oh, and Chloe?”

“Yeah?”

“I do know what Gardenias mean.”

* * *

_Gardenias symbolize **purity** and **sweetness**. They’re meant to tell the recipient **“I** **think I’m in love with you.”**_


	32. There's a reason - G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _“Welcome back. Now fucking help me.”_

Beca stood in the kitchen of her tiny apartment in Brooklyn, cursing loudly as she burned herself once again on the hot pan she was currently using to sauté the onions. Or whatever it was called. She had the recipe open on her phone that was propped up against something on the small counter space next to her.

 “What the fuck?” She said out loud, wondering how in the hell she had already missed about a million steps. She was about halfway through the meal, but she had a feeling it wasn’t going too well. Her sweet potatoes still had to go in the oven, then she needed to put the steak in the pan and make sure she’d turn it around after exactly four minutes, and then make sure she finished making her sautéed onions with sour cream and paprika.

 Oh and shit.. where in the hell did those green beans go? And what should she do with them?

 Suddenly, she could hear someone unlocking the apartment door behind her, and without turning around she sighed deeply once said person had entered. “Welcome back.” She said, still not turning around. “Now fucking help me.”

 The other girl put her purse down on the floor, a sound which Beca thought meant she was going to come over and help her. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. This was such a bad idea. I can’t cook at all and Chloe is going to be home in about an hour and she’ll hate it and then I’ll feel stupid and- You know what? I should just forget about this. I don’t even know why I’m doing this in the first place. I mean, she probably doesn’t even want to hang out with me anymore. She has stupid fucking Chicago now so she’s not going to care about dinner with me. I should have just gotten her a _normal_ present like a _normal_ person, right?”

 “You’re making me dinner?”

 “What the fuck!” Beca turned around, not even caring anymore that she almost dropped her pan and definitely knocked over the olive oil, luckily not shattering it. “Dude! You’re not- you shouldn’t be-“ She let out a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down as she stared at the face of her best friend in the world, the woman she was also madly in love with. “What are you doing home?”

 “I got on an earlier flight. I actually got back yesterday evening, but I went to see Aubrey.”

 Beca frowned at this, wondering what was going on with Chloe. Normally, she’d be the first one that the other woman would want to talk to, no matter how annoying Beca always pretended it to be.

 “Is everything ok-“

 “Are you really making me dinner?” Chloe asked again, brushing off Beca’s question as she took a step closer to the kitchen. Beca however, quickly held up her spatula as if it was a sword, keeping Chloe away from her. “I’m trying. Amy kinda bailed on me. But I’m going to fix this, okay? So you just- you know, take a shower or whatever and then I’ll have dinner ready when you get out. Okay?”

 Chloe smiled, still not quite understanding what was happening right now. “But you never cook.”

 “Why do you think I’m freaking out?”

 The redhead laughed softly. “Are you sure you don’t want to just order something?”

 She shook her head in response. “No, I’m committed to this now so I’m going to finish it.”

* * *

About thirty minutes later, when Chloe got out of the shower, Beca was sitting at the small kitchen table, smiling contentedly at the two plates in front of her.

 “Wow.” Chloe said as she took it all in, even the small candle that Beca had lit. “That’s- I can’t believe you actually did it.”

 Beca chuckled. “I feel like I should be offended by that, but honestly, I can’t either. You hungry?”

 “Very.”

 “Uh- one thing.” Beca said, stopping Chloe from sitting down as she stood up herself as well. “I actually have a present too, if that’s okay. It was sort of a back-up, in case I burned down the entire apartment building.”

 Chloe laughed. “Smart move.”

 The brunette handed over a small package, watching the smile grow on Chloe’s face as she unwrapped it. “You made me a mixtape?” She asked.

 “Well, sort of.” Beca explained, shrugging her shoulder slightly. “I kinda made it six years ago.”

 Chloe’s eyes widened in shock as her eyes moved from the tape to Beca and back. “Six years?!”

 Beca shrugged again, pretending like it was nothing even though she knew it wasn’t. “So, uh- after that day in the showers.. you know.. I started to listen to ‘Titanium’ even more and more and then a few weeks later you kept singing that song during rehearsals for two weeks straight-“

 “Ben Howard’s.”

 “Yeah. So, you kept singing it and I realized the songs worked really well together and so I made a mash-up. I was going to give it to you, but then I realized that you might think it was weird. Plus, I got kicked out of the Bellas and everything. Anyway, after that, it just felt too late. But Amy said it was the perfect gift. So yeah, there you go.”

 Chloe’s eyes had watered as she held the small cassette in her hands like it was as fragile as a newborn baby. She couldn’t believe Beca had given her this. It was by far the best gift she had ever gotten in her entire life. “Beca I-“ She struggled to find the right words. “Thank you.” Is what she finally settled on, pleased to see a small watery smile on the brunette’s face.

“I won’t hug you, I promise, but this means a lot to me.”

 Beca laughed at that. “Good. Now eat, Beale. I didn’t do all of this so that we could let it go to waste.”

 Chloe sat down across from Beca, who was having a really hard time not staring at the other woman. Chloe was beautiful, that was something everyone basically just agreed upon. However, to Beca, Chloe was the most beautiful in moments like this. Because this was a sight she didn’t show to many people, and Beca would know. She’s lived with her for four years now. Chloe’s shower had washed her make-up off and instead of changing into jeans and a blouse like she used to do back in the Bellas house, she had opted instead for sweatpants and a comfortable shirt that Beca was pretty sure she’d stolen from her. She just couldn’t stop staring. Chloe like this was everything to her.

 “Are you going to keep looking at me or actually eat your food? It’s really good, Becs. You don’t want to miss out. Trust me.”

 She smiled. “Sorry. Just- daydreaming. Thanks, though.”

 They ate in comfortable silence for a little bit. Beca felt relieved that the food _had_ actually really turned out to be pretty good. Sure there were some things she could probably approve next time, but in general, she was happy about it. Chloe seemed to be too, because she kept complimenting her every three bites or so.

 “So,” Beca said as she finally put her fork down, “I take it you heard a little bit of what I said earlier, huh?”

 Chloe nodded. “Yeah.”

 “I’m sorry for what I said about Chicago. I know he’s your boyfriend and I shouldn’t have said that. I guess I was just frustrated because of the-“

 “He’s not my boyfriend.” Chloe interrupted, looking down at her plate, wishing she hadn’t finished everything before they started this conversation.

 “Wait.. what?” Beca asked, not quite sure she’d heard Chloe correctly.

 “We broke up two days ago.”

 The brunette’s eyes widened. “He broke up with you on your fucking _birthday_? Chloe, I swear to god, I will fly over there and punch him so hard in his stupid face! I don’t even care that he’s in the military, seriously I-“

 “Beca stop!” Chloe placed a hand on top of Beca’s, trying to get the other woman to calm down a little bit. She had to admit, seeing Beca like this was definitely attractive. “He didn’t break up with me;  _I_ broke up with _him_.”

 “Oh.” Is all Beca had to say. “Why?”

 “Why did you make me dinner?” Chloe fired back.

 “Because it was your birthday two days ago.”

 “Yeah, but you could have just given me the mash-up, or anything else. Why go through all this trouble?”

 This time it was Beca who ducked her head down, avoiding Chloe’s eyes. “Chloe.” She whined slightly, sounding sort of like a small child that had done something bad and wanted their parent to just drop it and forget about it.

 “Beca.”

 The two of them were quiet for a little bit, both trying to figure out what the other one was thinking. Finally, Chloe sighed deeply as she squeezed Beca’s hand that was still lying underneath hers on the table. “Listen,” She started, “I think, or maybe I should say hope, that I know what this is about.”

 “What do you mean?” Beca asked, trying not to sound too worried.

 “I’m saying there’s a reason for everything. There’s a reason I called you over on the activities fair six years ago, and there’s a reason I burst into your shower besides your talent. There’s a reason you made me that song and moved to New York with _me_ instead of Los Angeles with Jessie. There’s a reason why you didn’t like Chicago in the first place and there’s a reason I broke up with him. Beca, there’s a reason why we’re here like this tonight. Just you and me.”

 “Oh.”

 “Yeah. And while that reason - _if_ I’m right about it - is a very good and happy reason, I understand that it’s also _big_ and maybe not something for right now.”

 Beca smiled softly and then nodded at Chloe. “I don’t think it’s going anywhere, do you?”

 The redhead returned Beca’s smile. “Definitely not. So maybe, in a not too far away future, we could try talking about it? And perhaps have an evening similar to this one but in a different setting?”

 “But what about if I have to move to Los Angeles? I know Theo said I can stay in New York and we’ll probably be able to get a bigger apartment for all three of us, but what if we won’t? What if I do have to move or I need to fly like every other week?

 Chloe smiled at Beca, her hand coming up to cup the brunette’s cheek softly. She couldn’t wait until she was able to do more of this, every day, but she knew they both needed some time. She needed it after Chicago, and the stress of vet school was already insane. Plus, Beca was just starting her work for Khaled and Theo. But it was okay, she wasn’t worried at all. In fact, she was looking forward to all of it.

 “We’ll make it work, we always do. We make it work because we have a _reason_ to make it work.”


	33. Social Media expert - T

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Your fics are amazing!! Could you do one with the Kendrick in that all black outfit in the plane she posted recently? Much love!_
> 
> Rating: T

“I told you I don’t need this.” Beca hissed, shooting a warning glare towards her PR manager as he stood in front of her desk. 

 

“You sort of do.” Derek responded, not as afraid of the small DJ anymore as he had once been. Over the years that he had worked for Beca, he had learned that she was mostly just tough on the outside. “See, Ms. Mitchell-“

 

“Derek, how many times have we been over this?” 

 

He rolled his eyes, unable to stop the small smile from forming on his lips. “Beca,” He tried again, “you _need_ this. It’s been fine up until now. You’re lucky that you can get away with it being part of your image, but now that you’re going on tour you need to start promoting yourself on social media. You need to reach out and connect with your audience. It’s not enough for us as your management to announce the dates and locations and other information. They won’t care. They _need_ to hear it from you. Please, just listen to me and get a social media expert.” 

 

Beca let out a deep breath as she let her head fall down on top her desk. She knew he was right. Derek almost always was. “Fine,” She reluctantly said, “but I’m not hiring someone for this.” 

 

He smiled, then nodded eagerly. “No worries. You can leave that to me, Ms. Mitchell.” 

 

“Oh my god, Derek!” 

 

“Bye Beca! Enjoy your lunch!” 

 

* * *

 

**_5 months later._ **

 

“I can’t believe today is the day.” Derek said, rocking back and forth on his feet as he stood next to Beca. “Are you ready?” He asked her. 

 

“Not really.”   
  
  


“Makes sense.” 

 

“This place is _really_ big. Are you sure these people are here to see you and aren’t just confused fans who thought they were going to a Beyonce concert.” 

 

Beca turned her head around and then playfully slapped Derek’s arm. “You’re the worst, you know that right? I might fire you after this goddamn tour is over.” 

 

“No, you won’t.” 

 

She shrugged her shoulder in a way that was supposed to say ‘we’ll see about that’, then turned back to the stage once again. The place really was big. She couldn’t believe she’d get to perform here tonight. With her own set, her own music, as well as several known artists who were performing with her. It was insane, really. She had also prepared some stuff that she was going to sing herself, as a special surprise for her fans. Of course, it had been something Derek had come up with (it had taken him 4 months to convince her to do it), and even though she was beyond nervous about it, she was also kind of excited. She knew she could sing, it was just not something she did a lot. 

 

Just as she was about to walk over to her mixing table, that was already being set up, she heard a new voice coming from behind her. 

 

“Got it! That looks awesome!” 

 

Beca could hear the familiar sound of a phone camera taking a picture, and immediately turned around on her feet to determine who had just dared to take a picture of her. “Excuse me?” She asked. 

 

“Oh.” Derek then said, dragging her towards a girl she hadn’t met before. “Beca, this is Chloe Beale. Chloe, this is Ms. Mitchell.” 

 

Beca rolled her eyes, then stared at the new girl. She smiled softly at her, unable to stop her heart from skipping a beat when she saw just how beautiful the girl was. “Just call me Beca, please.” The DJ said, reaching out a hand for Chloe to take. 

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Beca. Derek hired me as your new social media expert.” 

 

Right away, the smile faded from Beca’s face as she whipped her head around to glare at Derek. “What?” He asked, holding up his hands, “you said I could do it!” 

 

Beca rolled her eyes at him before turning back to face Chloe. “Sorry, I’m not so great at this.” 

 

Chloe smiled softly at her, then winked as she pulled out her phone again and opened up Beca’s Instagram account. “Clearly. I mean, not to judge, but you seriously have five posts on here and they all include food.” 

 

“Food’s a big part of my life.” 

 

“And it should be. I’m just not sure it’s exactly what the fans want to see, you know?” 

 

Beca stared at her, unable to stop from smiling just a little bit when Chloe kept looking at her like _that_. If it was anybody else she would have probably brushed them off already, or fought them a little more, but something about the beautiful redhead just made her want to give in, see what she had in mind. “So what do you propose we do, Chloe?” 

 

* * *

**_Four weeks later_ **

 

“Today was a good day, wasn’t it?” 

 

Beca nodded at Chloe as she sat in front of her in the enormous private jet that they had gotten for Beca’s tour. 

 

“Yeah, DC was great.” 

 

Chloe smiled, easily able to read the tired expression on Beca’s face. Over the course of the last four weeks, they had gotten to know each other pretty well, and she was glad to be able to say that she could now consider Beca a friend. Although the feelings she had for her might not be strictly friendly (if she’s being honest, she’s had a crush on the famous DJ long before she got the job, something she’s pretty sure her good friend Derek was definitely aware of before he hired her), she was okay with just being around Beca like this and seeing her work. She was truly talented, and although Chloe knew she wasn’t too bad at singing herself, she also knew that this was a different level. The ease with which Beca did what she did was amazing, and inspiring altogether. 

 

Beca was about to get up from her seat, but before she could do so, Chloe stopped her. “Hey, I know you’re tired and you probably want to get out of these clothes, but we should take a picture in the jet to let people know where you’re headed next.” 

 

The brunette rolled her eyes, and then nodded. She’s stopped trying to really fight these moments (maybe because she hates them a little less, maybe because she knows she doesn’t really have a choice). Chloe’s smart, and great at what she does. Beca already has over 12 million followers, and most of her posts get over a million likes. It’s insane, really. 

 

“What do you want me to do?” 

 

Chloe smiled, then pulled out her phone. “Uh- so I was thinking, what about if you sit sideways, with your legs over the armrest-“ 

 

Beca started to turn around, almost falling to the floor in the process, and ended up sitting kind of awkwardly with both legs hanging over the edge. Chloe laughed at the sight of her friend, loving how Beca was always so unapologetically herself. 

 

“Maybe not exactly like that..” 

 

“Chloe!” 

 

“Hey, I’m trying. Sit up a little straighter and put one leg up.” 

 

Beca did as she was told. 

 

“Yeah, that’s better. Now, take my glass of champagne and hold it low, like you’re resting it on the seat. Perfect.” 

 

Beca felt uncomfortable, and she couldn’t imagine that this looked great. “Are you sure about this?” 

 

“What do I keep telling you?” 

 

“To trust you.” She said, smiling softly. 

 

“Exactly. Now, look sideways like you’re staring out the window.” 

 

“The window is closed. And it’s dark out.” 

 

“Beca.” She warned, causing the small girl to roll her eyes.

 

“Right. As you wish.” She did as she was told and Chloe quickly took the picture. She had to admit, the brunette looked especially great in this one. She quickly sent the picture to the DJ, smiling as she could read from Beca’s expression that she was pleased with it.

 

“Wow. That’s- thank you, Chloe.” 

 

“You’re welcome. I’ve also sent you possible captions that you could add, as well as hashtags. You can also think about adding some filters if you-“

 

“I posted it.” Beca interrupted, smiling proudly as she held up the phone, then quickly dumped it in the backpack on the floor in front of her. 

 

“Wait, what? What did you add to it?” 

 

Beca shrugged. “Dragon energy, plus a squirrel emoji.” 

 

“Oh my god,” Chloe said, before laughing, “Why?” 

 

“Well, if I start being too informative and proper they're going to think it's not me posting this. We need something like this once in a while.” 

 

The redhead laughed once more. “I mean, I guess you’re right about that.” 

 

“I sure am. Now, if you don’t mind it, I’m going to change into something way comfier. I’ll be right back.” 

 

Not too much later, Beca did indeed return, and as much as Chloe had to admit she loved Beca’s stage outfits, she loved to see Beca in her comfortable clothing way better. The DJ was gorgeous without her makeup, and with her hair pulled up into a messy bun. She was wearing a sweater that was about two sizes too big for her, and her sweatpants had definitely been worn too many times. Yet still, she looked beautiful. 

 

“Are you judging my outfit, Beale?” Beca asked, wondering why the other woman kept staring at her. 

 

Chloe shook her head. “Definitely not. Now go rest, you need it.” 

 

The brunette fell asleep within ten minutes. As Chloe sat there, staring at her, she couldn’t help but take a quick picture of Beca. She wasn’t going to send or post this one, obviously, but that didn’t mean she could just keep it for herself, as a way of remembering this trip besides all the craziness of social media and online stuff. This one was just for her, and it reminded her what they were, who Beca was, and not just who she was supposed to be all the time. 

 

She fell asleep staring at the picture. 

 

* * *

 

**_6 Weeks later, the end of Beca’s tour._ **

 

“I can’t believe this is it.” Beca said as she stared at her team, all of them standing in a circle in Beca’s office. “I mean, I know we’re not going anywhere but it will be weird not to hear you guys snoring in the hotel room next to mine or ordering pizza together in the evenings.” 

 

Some of them nodded, just now realizing how much they were going to miss the craziness of the last couple of weeks. “Well, everyone go home to their families, or pets or whatever, you’ve earned this small vacation. I don’t want to see anyone back in the office until May 5th. 

 

“Yes Ma’am.” Derek said, earning himself a final smack from the DJ. “I swear to God, Derek, if you don’t go home now I’m going to call your husband and tell him you’ve been bothering me the entire time.” 

 

“Please don’t.” 

 

“Then go home.” 

 

He nodded, then quickly leaned in to give Beca a hug, something he knew she didn’t normally allow. “Enjoy your vacation, boss.” 

 

“Not better, but getting there.” 

 

Finally, everyone had left. Everyone but Chloe. Beca smiled softly at her, thankful that Chloe had remembered to stay behind like Beca had asked her to do before the final meeting. 

 

“Are you firing me?” Chloe suddenly spat out, watching as the smile faded from Beca’s face. 

 

“What? Why would you even think that, dude?” 

 

Chloe shrugged. “I don’t know. The tour’s over.” 

 

“Yeah but that doesn’t mean I don’t need help with this shit anymore. Probably even more so than ever, if we want to keep the audience interested. Yesterday I almost posted a picture of my half-eaten burrito. Trust me, I need your help, Chlo.” 

 

Chloe laughed, then let out a breath of relief. “Good. Because I kinda love working for you.” 

 

“Do you now? I thought I was a pain in your ass.” 

 

“I mean, you are, but it’s also been really, _really_ amazing.” 

 

“I agree.” Beca said. “Is it weird that I’m actually going to miss this?” 

 

Chloe wasn’t sure what she meant. The tour, her team, working, or maybe the two of them. Whatever it was, she agreed. “Not weird at all. I’m going to miss the work as well.” 

 

They stood in front of each other somewhat awkwardly, Beca fidgeting with the pen in her fingers as she avoided Chloe’s gaze. “Anyway, I uh- I probably should head home, start packing for my vacation and stuff.” 

 

“Yeah, I should go home too. My roommate is planning this welcome home party and it would probably be weird if I don’t show up.” 

 

Beca chuckled. “Probably, yeah.” 

 

Just as Chloe was about to turn away, Beca placed a soft hand on her arm and used her grip to pull Chloe in close, hugging her tightly. The redhead was taken aback for a second, knowing all too well how Beca hated physical contact (she tried something after they first met and it did not go well). Then, she wrapped her own arms around Beca and held her close, hoping the moment could last just a little bit longer. 

 

“Thank you for everything, Chloe.” 

 

“You’re welcome.” 

 

And with that, they parted, Chloe turning back one last time before she left the office. 

* * *

**_Later that evening_ **

 

Chloe had gotten home about three hours ago. She was currently on her way to being _very_ drunk and somehow she’d ended up sitting in a corner of her apartment staring at her phone, her thumb hovering over Beca’s number. 

 

She shouldn’t, she really shouldn’t. Yet still, she couldn’t help herself. It wasn’t like they were going to see each other sometime soon anyway. 

 

Chloe opened up their text conversation, then searched for the picture she’d taken on the plane. Not the one that Beca had posted, but the one that she had taken just for herself, the one that she stared at every night, the one that filled her dreams. She pressed sent before she could stop herself and then quickly attached a text. 

 

**_I lied. Before. It’s not the work I’m going to miss. It’s this. Moments like this. You know, the real stuff. Just you and me. I like you, Beca._ **

 

Then, she waited. 

 

She waited ten minutes, then twenty, then half an hour, and then two hours. By now she was sure that Beca hated her. That was the only option. 

 

“Chloe!” Her friend yelled from the other side of the room, causing her to turn towards her. 

 

“Chloe! Come on! There’s someone here for you.” Stacie yelled once again, finally getting Chloe to get up and walk towards the door, happy that she had regained some of her soberness and was able to make her way over just fine. 

 

“What are you yelling about, I was just-” She said, but before she could finish her sentence her eyes landed on Beca. Beautiful, sweatpants wearing, Beca Mitchell, standing in front of her with wide eyes. 

 

“I didn’t have your address. And then I forgot that you had a party going on.” She rambled, gesturing down to her outfit. “I’m sorry.” 

 

“What? No! I’m sorry!” She rushed to say, “I shouldn’t have- I’m sorry I sent you that.” 

 

“Did you mean it?” Beca asked instead, and for a moment she wanted to deny it, but there was really no use. She couldn’t lie to Beca. 

 

“Yes. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. I promise I can be professional around you. My feelings don’t matter, I can get over-“ 

 

“Chloe.” Beca said, trying to reach for one of Chloe’s hands. “Chloe, please calm down.” 

 

Beca looked past her, now noticing that most of the guests were staring at them. “Follow me.” 

 

She guided the two of them towards the roof of the building, where it was quiet. Luckily it was a warm night in New York, the two of them staring out at the city together. 

 

Suddenly, after having enjoyed the silence for a little bit, Beca pulled out her own phone and then handed it over to Chloe. “You’re not the only one, you know?” 

 

Chloe looked down, her eyes watering as she saw the picture. It was taken that same day, on the plane, yet this one was of her. She was asleep in her seat, her phone still in her hand as she rested her head against the window, a small smile on her face. 

 

“Beca-“ 

 

“Yeah.” 

 

They stared at each other then, small smiles on both of their faces. 

 

“Now what?” Chloe asked her. 

 

“You could go on vacation with me.” Beca said with a casual shrug. 

 

Chloe just snorted and laughed. 

 

“No, I’m serious. I want to get to know you better, Chloe, and I want to take you out. But we can’t do that here, not without fifteen people following us around and writing about us. And I don’t want to do that to you. So really, come to France with me. If you don’t like it - any of it - I’ll book you a flight home right away. I promise.” 

 

“Are you serious?” 

  
“Come to France with me, Chlo.” 

 

Chloe couldn’t help herself, with the alcohol still surging through her veins, as well as the excitement of learning that Beca likes her too and wants to take her out (and not just anywhere), she leaned forward and quickly pressed her lips to Beca's. It was short, and mostly just a tease. She could tell by the look on Beca’s face as she pulled back that it did what she wanted it to do, leave the brunette wanting more. 

 

“Yes, Beca. I’ll come with you.” 

 


	34. Sorry - G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _Sorry - Kensington.. Please! it's such a beautiful and sad song and I would just really love a Bechloe fic based on it.. maybe a bit sad??_
> 
> Rating: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LOVE this song, which is maybe why I felt like this story just sort of wrote itself. I hope you like it. Please, please please watch the video and listen to the song later on in the story (you’ll know when) because it will make it SO much better, I promise!

 

_I LOVE this song, which is maybe why I felt like this story just sort of wrote itself. I hope you like it. Please, please please[watch the video and listen to the song ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoQO7e2THIw)later on in the story (you’ll know when) because it will make it SO much better, I promise!_

* * *

 

They haven’t spoken in a year.

Which is all her fault.

She knows that.

It’s not something she’s trying to deny. Not anymore. She _knows_ it’s her fault, and she _knows_ there’s nothing she can do. There’s nothing that she’s _able_ to do. She’s weak. She likes to pretend she’s not, likes to pretend she’s this amazing and strong person that doesn’t run from her feelings. But she does.

And she did.

She ran to the other side of the country.

Away from her family, away from her friends, away from her responsibilities and thoughts. She ran so far that she lost a little bit of herself along the way.

And now she’s not sure anymore who she is.

Amy told her to write it down. In a way. Because that seems to be the only way she can communicate anymore. In music. In pauses and beats and between the lines. It’s where she hides. It’s what she knows.

This song.

She hears it in her head.

It’s there, somewhere. But she can’t quite reach it. Just like she couldn’t quite get the life she thinks she was supposed to have. The one that she can see, but never reach. Chloe’s there. Of course. She’s there and they wake up together and Beca makes her breakfast in _their_ house and they talk and smile and see their friends.

She can hear the song playing in her head when she thinks of it, like it’s playing in the corner of their room. They’re not aware of it, don’t acknowledge it. So she knows it’s not part of the thought. It’s just her mind trying to tell her something. She knows.

Amy calls her one day. Well, she calls her every day for three weeks but she doesn’t answer until she’s sure she’s going to ruin that too if she doesn’t pick up at that moment. So she does.

They don’t really talk about it. Because she can’t. She doesn’t know how to explain how sorry she is. For running away, for never communicating, for telling Chloe she didn’t feel the same, for always having her walls up. She’s sorry for all those things, but she can’t tell Amy that. She won’t understand.

So instead she just tells her about the song. In the best way that she can.

Amy asks her how it starts.

Which is weird, because she’s never thought about that. She always ends up in the middle of her song, for some reason, with the images of her other life playing over and over again. Like a dream, one could say. Never remembering the beginning. 

She stays silent for a long time until she finally says: “There’s a uh.. E minor chord.. and then a G.. and a D.”

“So you have thought about this?”

“No, not really,” She answers, “I think- I don’t know. I can just hear it.”

“So write it down.”

* * *

 

Her new job is good enough. It’s a small production company and they let her borrow the studio for when she wants to work on her own stuff. It’s great. She doesn’t get much responsibility yet, but at least they don’t really care what she does either.

She stays up until at least 3am that first night. She’s sitting behind the piano, playing those three chords over and over again. But for some reason, she can’t get them to sound the same. Just as she’s about to give up, she has an idea.

She unlocks her phone and opens up the gallery, her fingers finding a video from just over a year ago rather quickly.

It’s the last good memory she has of her. The last time they were just _them_. Just Chloe and Beca.

Not this _almost_ something.

It’s right before Beca ruined it all.

She listens to Chloe talk about winning Worlds. She sounds so _happy_. It’s painful, and she can’t watch it anymore. She closes her eyes, and lets her hands rest on the keys of the piano.

And just like that, the music starts to play. In her mind first, but her hands catch up quickly and soon enough she’s halfway through it.

But the video ends, and the memory fades.

And so does the music.

* * *

 

After that, she works on the lyrics.

Sorry.

That’s what she wants to say.

She forces herself to think of the most painful memories. Of the moments she regrets the most. The moments she wishes she’d done something different.

**_Sorry that I’m raising up my walls_ **

She writes.

It’s easy enough. But it hurts her heart.

**_Sorry for the road that I won’t take._ **

**_For the lengths that I won’t go_ **

**_For the love that I won't give_ **

There's more, and more, and more.

**_Sorry for the oath that I won't take_ **

**_For the vows that I will break_ **

It leaves her almost empty.

She’s been crying for hours, but she knows now that she needs to do this. She can’t ignore her own feelings anymore. She keeps dreaming about Chloe, about her friends, about the song.

She knows it’s her own mind telling her to write it, to get it all out on paper.

So she keeps going. She stays after work and plays the chords, and writes the words.

**_sorry that I opened up my arms..  
you would never reach in time, before they closed again._ **

* * *

 

The first time she plays the chords and sings the lyrics together she knows she’s created something special.

It wasn't even meant to be good. It was just something for herself. She never intended it to be what it now could be. She’s not sure she wants it to be.

The more time she spends on it, the clearer Beca can hear the rest of it. She can hear the guitar, and the drums.

* * *

 

It takes her two months before she decides she _needs_ to do something.

Two months of listening to it, and adding to it, and two months of wondering if Chloe would ever hear it.

But she calls someone.

And that's how she finally finds a place for it to stay. Outside of her head and her dreams, haunting her every waking moment.

* * *

 

Chloe’s sitting on her couch when the message arrives.

She had a long day in vet school and she was sort of just planning to go to bed early. There’s nothing on Netflix that she wants to watch right now, and she knows Aubrey is already asleep so there's no use in trying to call her friend.

But then her phone buzzes.

And for a second her heart hopes that it’s Beca. Just like it always does.

Except for this time, it actually is.

For the first time in over a year, not counting the ‘Happy birthday’ text that Beca had sent her. That shouldn’t count. Because it wasn’t really anything. And she’s pretty sure Amy forced her to send that.

It’s not a text, not really. It’s just a YouTube link. Maybe Beca got hacked. Or maybe she texted the wrong number. Either of those would make more sense then Beca sending her a link to a YouTube clip.

But then another message arrives.

**I’m sorry. Please watch this, Chloe. You don’t even have to respond. Just please, watch it. x Beca.**

So it _is_ her.

She ends up calling Aubrey anyways. Because she’s been there for her every step of the way during this year. She can’t do this alone. Whatever it is.

Aubrey, being the amazing best friend that she is, comes right over. They only live 20 minutes away from each other now.

She texts Amy too, her being the only of their group of friends that still has any kind of clue to what Beca is up to in L.A.

“So, she really did it, huh?” Amy asks as Chloe shows her the link.

“I’m sorry, she did what?” Aubrey questions, looking at Chloe and then Amy. Chloe’s just as confused though.

Amy doesn’t answer either of them, instead turns on Chloe’s tv and opens up YouTube.

“Trust me. You need a big screen for this.” She says, then searches for the video.

‘Beca Mitchell - Sorry’ it says, and Chloe immediately feels her eyes start to tear up.

“Is she really-“ She tries, but she can’t even finish her sentence. She doesn’t have to either, because the song starts and then that’s all she can focus on.

It fades from black to a large empty room, mostly dark, with just a small seat in the middle of it. Suddenly, the piano chords come in, and a guy fades into the screen on the left, playing the piano chords.

Then, he fades again, and suddenly there’s Beca. She’s sitting on the small seat in the middle of the room, holding a guitar.

Chloe didn’t even know she could play.

She didn’t even know Beca could do any of this.

But then, the lyrics start.

##  _**Sorry for the road that I won't take  
**_ _ **For the words that I won't say  
**_ __ **For the love that I won't give**

The camera is zoomed in on Beca’s face and she keeps fading in and out, something which Chloe understands must show how she’s feeling. It hurts her heart to see Beca in so much pain.

##  _**Sorry for the heart that I won't show  
**_ _ **For the lengths that I won't go  
**_ _ **For the life that you won't live  
**_ _ **Sorry that I opened up my arms  
**_ _ **You would never reach in time  
**_ __ **Before they closed again**

She knows she’s crying. But she doesn’t want to. She wants to hear and see everything, and she can’t if her stupid tears keep clouding up her vision. Aubrey and Amy each wrap an arm tightly around her shoulders and waist, holding her close.

##  _**You will forget  
**_ _ **And I won't remember it  
**_ _ **When all I ever did was race in circles  
**_ _ **You will forget  
**_ _ **And all there's left will be  
**_ _ **A faded memory  
**_ __ **A dream you woke up from**

The room goes dark again for a second, before the lights come back up and now there’s a drummer on her right, beautifully adding yet another element to the song.

##  _**Sorry for the oath that I won't take  
**_ _ **For the vows that I will break  
**_ _ **For the role that I won't play  
**_ _ **Sorry that I'm raising up my walls  
**_ _ **And whenever you reached over  
**_ __ **You are thrown back to the start**

Beca keeps not looking at the camera, instead staring off into the distance, making Chloe realize just how much these words really mean to her. She doesn’t even appear to be fully present in the moment, and her eyes keep slipping closed. She wonders if she’s thinking about her.

##  _**You will forget  
**_ _ **And I won't remember it  
**_ _ **When all I ever did was race in circles  
**_ _ **You will forget  
**_ _ **And all there's left will be  
**_ _ **A faded memory  
**_ __ **A dream you woke up from**

Suddenly, Beca stands up, and starts playing her guitar, just as all the lights go on, and the room is suddenly bright and white and the people are clearer. A bass player joins the group in the back, now playing along with Beca.

##  _**From the colour I would bring  
**_ _ **To ending up again  
**_ _ **Opening darkness  
**_ _ **I wanted to hold you back from  
**_ _ **The colour I would bring  
**_ _ **To ending up again  
**_ _ **Opening darkness  
**_ __ **I wanted to hold you back**

The room becomes dark again and Beca sings the final verse of the song.

##  **_You will forget  
_** ** _And I won't remember it  
_** ** _When all I ever did was race in circles  
_** ** _You will forget  
_** ** _And all there's left will be  
_** ** _A faded memory  
_** **** _A dream you woke up from_

She sits there, just staring at the screen for at least a solid five minutes.

Amy is the first to talk.

“I can’t believe she actually produced it.”

“What do you mean?” Aubrey asks.

“Well, I told her that if she wanted to sort out her feelings, she should write a song, or something. I never expected she would do,” She gestures wildly at the screen, “all of this.”

“Yeah..” Aubrey agrees, “this is beautiful.”

They’re both quiet again, just staring at Chloe now.

“What are you going to do?”

She takes a deep shaky breath, then says: “I have to call her.”

Because a year ago, Beca left.

And Beca’s the one to blame.

But she knows that.

And she’s trying to tell Chloe she’s sorry.

Sorry for walking away

Sorry for raising her walls

Sorry for showing her she loved her when she did

The least Chloe can do is call her.

And they’ll move on from there.

 


	35. Meeting someone famous - G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: _10ix) You’re an actor/another famous person that I really admire and I just saw you in the street and as I was debating whether or not to say hi you came up to me and started flirting what do I do??  
>  With famous Chloe Beale! (as per request)_
> 
> Rating: G

Beca Mitchell was walking - well, more speed walking really - down the streets of Los Angeles, on her way to her job. It was only her fourth day there, and she couldn’t be late. Absolutely could not be. Except she was going to be. Because she got off on the wrong subway station and now she had to walk all the way there and she honestly wasn’t even sure if she was going in the right direction.

She was gripping her ice coffee with one hand while the other one was holding her phone, her eyes now looking down at the device as she tried to figure out how much further it was. Just as she was about to round a corner (now feeling confident that she was almost there) her body collided with someone else’s.

“Shit. What the fuck!” She said loudly, jumping back as she tried to avoid her own coffee spilling all over herself, as well as the person that had bumped into her. “Jesus Christ.” Beca said, her whole body startled as the ice cold beverage soaked through her shirt and hit her stomach; a harsh contrast in comparison to the hot Los Angeles weather.

“I’m so-“ The other person started, but before she could finish her sentence Beca had looked up and the two made eye contact. Beca’s eyes widened immediately, and she could see the smile somewhat fade from the other girl’s face. 

Holy. 

shit. 

She can’t believe that she just bumped into Chloe Beale. Out of all the people and celebrities living and working in Los Angeles, she has to almost knock down one of the most famous singers of the city on her first week here. Beca Mitchell wasn’t a fan of many people, but she sure as hell was one of Chloe’s. Had been ever since she came out with her first track a couple of years ago. There was just something so mesmerizing about the redhead’s voice. Plus, she seemed to be a genuinely nice person. 

“I’m so sorry.” Chloe finished her sentence, pulling on her own shirt which also seemed to be soaked with coffee. “Although, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look that good with a coffee stain.” She winked then, causing Beca’s heart to literally skip a beat.

“That’s okay.” Beca stammered, not quite sure where to look. Was she blinking too much? Making too much eye contact? It felt like she was. “And uh- thanks, I guess?”

What was Chloe trying to do here? She couldn’t be flirting, right? There was just no way that Chloe Beale was actually flirting with her, right here, right now. Sure, Beca knew that the other woman was gay, it had been all over the media when she came out, but she sure as hell knew that whatever Chloe’s type was, it probably wasn’t awkward, dark eyeliner wearing tiny girls like her (who also happened to be almost 7 years younger than her).

“You’re very welcome.” Chloe responded, an easy smile appearing on her face. “Can I buy you a new one?”

Oh my god. What in the hell is happening right now? Beca would be lying if she said she’d never thought about this. Again, she’s not really a fan of many people, so she allowed herself to be at least totally and completely obsessed with Chloe Beale. It was the one thing she allowed herself to do. In her head, they would meet at a work thing, and then Chloe would think she was really talented. They would work together and eventually hit it off. Or they would randomly meet, like this, and Beca wouldn’t make a fool of herself at all. She would flirt back and Chloe would be all surprised and she would be the one to ask her out. Of course, Chloe would say yes. There’s also scenarios in which they would have friends in common, or maybe Beca became famous too and then Chloe would be the one obsessed with her.

Anyways, in her mind, this had happened before, in a way.

But never in her life did she think something even slightly similar would happen.

“Or uh-not. I’m sorry. I just thought-“

“No wait,” Beca quickly said, realizing Chloe was starting to back off. She was an idiot, truly. “I would really like that, honestly, but first of all.. I kind of really have to go to work. I’m already an hour late, and secondly.. it wasn’t really your fault so it probably should be me who’s buying you a coffee.”

“Okay.”

She frowned, not quite understanding what Chloe was saying yes to. Maybe she just meant it as a goodbye.

“I mean, okay you can buy me a coffee some other time.”

Beca swallowed hard, fighting every urge in her to scream right now. She had to stay calm. Luckily for her, she managed to nod slightly and smirk at the other woman. Perfect. She’s got this. Apparently, the Universe realizes it’s already bothered her enough for one day. Although, she could perfectly well be dreaming all of this (god knows that’s happened before). The chances are probably 50/50.

“Sure. I uh-,” She wasn’t sure how to do this. Honestly, she was bad enough at this kind of stuff already, let alone with someone as famous as Chloe. She still half expected the other girl to laugh and run off, or ask for her address so that she could send her the dry cleaning bill. Both of those seemed way more plausible. “I work just down the street at-“

Chloe waved her hand, interrupting what she was saying. “Just give me your number, it’s way easier, right?”

“Right.”

She tried to keep her hands steady as Chloe handed over her phone, Beca immediately opening up the contacts app and putting her number in. Chloe probably wasn’t going to actually call her, or text her, but it was at least worth a try, wasn’t it?

“Here.” Beca said as she handed the phone back over to Chloe. “And uh- I’m sorry for-“ She gestured towards Chloe’s shirt, causing the other girl to chuckle.

“It’s fine, really. I was just on my way home anyway. I guess we both learned we shouldn’t be looking at our phones so much, huh?”

“I guess.”

“Well,” Chloe said, looking around herself, and the brunette just now noticed that it was getting more crowded around them. It seemed like people had started to notice. “I really have to go, before this becomes even crazier, but it was nice to meet you, _Beca_.”

“Yeah uh- it was nice to meet you too.”

* * *

 

_**The next day** _

She was tired. Which was totally not her fault.

She’d been up all night staring at her phone screen. Or well, Chloe Beale’s text to be precise.

It had come in a little after 11, just when Beca was about to go to bed.

**Don’t think I’m letting you forget about that coffee.**

The number had shown up as unknown, although it was perfectly clear to her who had sent it. Immediately, she had added her to her list of contacts. Once again unable to believe this was real.

She spent a good twenty minutes coming up with a proper reply, nothing being good enough. Eventually, her phone buzzed with a new message.

**Also, on a more serious note, I normally don’t really do this. I just thought you should know that.**

To that, she could respond.

_Me neither._

And then, she added.

_I mean, I try not to spill coffee on celebrities all the time, but there’s only so much you can do.._

After that, Chloe didn’t answer anymore, Beca figuring the other woman had probably gone to bed. Yet still, she couldn’t help but feel afraid that she’d said something wrong. Maybe she had offended Chloe. Maybe the other woman didn’t get her joke. Maybe she realized that all of this was ridiculous and why would she even invest any of her precious time off to be hanging out with-

“Mitchell!”

She looked up, just now realizing she’d been lost in her thoughts during her boss’s speech.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stay alert, please.” He warned her, before smiling friendly and turning back to the rest of the group. She really did get lucky with him. As far as bosses go, he was probably decent enough. At least, so far. “And could you please bring this to the second floor. We have a new client coming in and I’d like to make them feel welcome.”

She looked at the coffee cup he was holding out for her, and then took it with a small sigh. She knew that this was still a part of her job, unfortunately.

Beca walked up the stairs to the second floor. Which was her first mistake. Because why in the hell would she not have just taken the elevator? But she didn’t. And apparently, she also didn’t see the sign that said something along the lines of ‘caution: BECA MITCHELL. Wet floors. Nobody else slips on that, but you will. So.. be careful.’

Yeah, she should have paid better attention.

But she didn’t.

And then suddenly she was falling forward just as she was about to take the last step, landing right on her face with her coffee slipping between her fingers and spilling all over the floor and her shirt. Not enough to burn her skin, but enough to make her hiss in pain and curse loudly as she pulled the fabric away from herself. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Again.

“We really have to stop running into each other like this.” A voice came from above her, and Beca didn’t really need to look up to see who it was. But she did anyway.

“Chloe?”

The other girl chuckled. “I assume that was my coffee?” Chloe gestured towards the spilled coffee, then reached out a hand for Beca to take.

The brunette accepted, slowly letting herself be pulled up by the beautiful redhead. “What uh- what are you doing here?” She asked, still confused.

“Getting that cup of coffee that you promised me, but it seems like that’s no longer happening.”

Beca’s eyes widened for a second, causing Chloe to burst out in laughter. “I’m kidding, Beca. Although, that coffee _was_ meant for me.”

“I uh- I don’t understand.” She allowed herself a moment to think, before making eye contact with Chloe again. “Wait, _you’re_ the new client?” 

Chloe nodded before reaching out her hand for Beca to shake, which she did, trying not to focus too much on how soft Chloe’s hand felt. “Nice to meet you, Miss Mitchell. Again.” 

Beca laughed. “Still just Beca.” 

“Well, you’re my boss now, so..” 

“Technically I think you’re mine.” 

Chloe shrugged, clearly not really caring much. 

“Did you know?” Beca blurted out, assuming Chloe knows what she’s talking about.

“Not until this morning, no. I saw your name on the contact info list for your production team. Then, I remembered you telling me yesterday that you worked just down the street. So.. I put two and two together.” 

 _OH MY GOD_. Beca’s mind was going super fast right now. Chloe actually remembered what they’d talked about yesterday. 

“Oh. Right.”

“Yeah, it seems like we’re going to be working together closely for the next 6 months. You might want to get a carrier tray or something.”

Just as Beca was about to say something else, her co-worker and team leader Stacie walked out into the hallway, immediately laughing when she saw Beca and her stained shirt. “Spilled something again, Mitchell?”

Beca tried not to roll her eyes at Chloe’s amused expression, instead just opting to glare at Stacie. Luckily enough the two of them had known each other for a long time. In fact, Stacie was the one who got Beca her job at the company, knowing how talented the young DJ was.

Stacie chuckled again, then smiled sweetly at Chloe. “I’m sorry, Miss Beale. Would you like me to get you another cup of coffee?”

Chloe shook her head. “No thanks, Miss Conrad. In fact, I was wondering if it would be okay with you if you’d let me take Beca out for about an hour. I believe she now owes me two cups of coffee.”

The tall brunette focused her gaze on her best friend again, cocking an eyebrow in question. “Uh- yeah, of course. Whatever you prefer, Miss Beale.”

“Chloe, please.”

“Okay then, Chloe.”

The redhead turned back to Beca, smiling innocently at her. “So, what do you say, Beca? You wanna try this again? I know a very nice coffee shop that’s pretty secluded and not too far from here.”

Beca just stared at her for a minute or so, unable to believe this was really happening. Then, she smiled and shrugged her shoulder, trying to pretend like her heart wasn’t beating a million beats per minute.

“Sure. What could possibly go wrong?”

Chloe laughed. “So many things, Beca, _so_ many things. But isn’t that the best part?” 


	36. Falling for you - G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick one-shot as a thank you to someone on Tumblr. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Rating: G

Beca is a little drunk, home alone, and she wants something.

 Actually, she wants a lot of things. Like, a better job, Amy paying rent, decent food instead of take out every night, a different president, an apartment that doesn’t have a toilet behind a fucking curtain, an actual bed, _Chloe.._

You know.. all the normal stuff.

But right now, she wants Amy’s fancy whiskey that was on one of the higher shelves in their kitchen. She wasn’t particularly a fan of whiskey, but she was well aware of the fact that the Australian girl had only put it in that spot because she knew that Beca wouldn’t be able to reach it. Just like Chloe liked to tease her by putting her cereal there too, although Beca had started to get up before the other woman, and Chloe’s joke turned out to be a lot less fun when Beca made her get up at 5am to go get the cereal for her.

Anyways, she wants the whiskey, because damnit she’s done with these people stopping her from getting the things she wants. She had a horrible day at work, nobody has apparently decided to come home tonight (no texts, nothing. Which is normal for Amy, but not for Chloe who usually texts her updates about every 10 minutes. And yes, she pretends to be annoyed by it, but it has now officially been an hour and Beca definitely misses her and her texts like crazy) and she drank the four beers that she found in the fridge.

Which is more than her tiny body can handle. Apparently. She sort of forgot that she’s not in college anymore, and her body isn’t used to consuming alcohol like this anymore. (She’s an adult now.. or whatever.. so it’s all red wine during dinner and having one beer after work with her awkward co-workers who she secretly hates).  

But still, she wants that whiskey, and she just keeps staring angrily at the shelf, hoping that it will somehow magically make its way down to her where she’s laying on her and Chloe’s bed. Speaking of Chloe, it has now been an hour and ten minutes, which is just officially too long.

**_Chloeeeeeeeeeeeeeewweeee  
_ ** **_i ant the facny ass whsikeg thst amy keeps on thst duckign shelf you giys won’t let me tjouvh.  
_ ** **_Ckme homeand get it for me. Pleweaaaseeeeeee.  
_ ** **_Ok. Love yiy. Byeeeeee  
_ ** ****_Bitchell out_

Grinning at her own phone, she sends the message.

 To her own surprise, she gets a response not two minutes later.

  _Becs, are you drunk?_

 She snorts, and shakes her head, even though there’s no one to see it.

  ** _No._**

 Yeah, she’s definitely got this. Short, to the point, no mistakes. There’s no way Chloe’s going to think she’s drunk now. She can do this.

  ** _Im gettjng my drink._**

Minutes later, she’s pushed their small dining table against the kitchen counter and is leaning forward, trying to reach the higher shelf. She’s _so_ close, she can almost reach it. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she notices how wobbly the table is, and how unstable she is, and how the alcohol is sort of making her vision all blurry and _wait.. where exactly is that bottle? Is that it? No that’s just maple syrup._ The problem is, those thoughts are a little too far in the back of her mind, and she ignores the rational part in her that’s screaming at her to stop doing what she’s doing and just go back down and drink water. Instead, she takes another step forward until suddenly.. the table beneath her starts to tilt and she has nothing to hold onto.

 “Shit!” She yells, desperately trying to find something, anything to grab.

 “Becs!”

She closes her eyes and waits for her body to hit either the table or the floor, but neither happens. Instead, she lands in someone’s arms. She knows it’s Chloe, because she recognizes the smell of her shampoo instantly. And also, Amy would have let her fall to the floor. She would also probably have filmed it. But not Chloe.

 Of course not.

“Chlo?”

Chloe’s still holding her, she notices. And even though she knows she’s pretty tiny (which is why this whole thing started in the first place) and light, she’s surprised that Chloe doesn’t even look to be having any difficulty whatsoever carrying her.  

 Beca looks up then, and finally, the two make eye contact, Beca immediately getting lost in Chloe’s blue eyes. Which seem to be looking at her with a somewhat worried expression. Then, she smiles and a twinkle appears in her eyes, a look Beca has gotten to know all too well over the years.

 “Falling for me, I see?” Chloe teases, and it’s a little more forward than she usually is towards Beca. At least, over the last year or so. But apparently, she doesn’t care right now, probably hoping that Beca won’t remember. She gently puts the younger girl down and guides her over to the bed, making sure Beca is steady sitting on the edge of it by herself, before standing in front of her, watching her. 

But the brunette just laughs then, an actual honest laugh, the one that they all only rarely get to hear. Then she snorts, to make matters even worse. 

“Yeah, sure, like I haven’t been doing that for the last six years.”

She expects Chloe to laugh and brush it off. Or something similar. But instead, she swallows hard and shifts her weight from one foot to the other while she avoids Beca’s gaze. Wait.. is Chloe nervous right now? She assumes she is, because she has a similar expression on her face as the one she had when they were about to perform in Copenhagen.

 “What, like,” she starts, “literally.. you mean?” She ends it with a nervous laugh, confirming Beca’s earlier suspicion.

 The DJ shrugs. “Both. Actually. Literally _and_ figuratively.”

 In an instant, Chloe’s eyes shot back to hers. “You mean that?”

 Beca smiles. “Of course. Now I wanna sleep. Cuddle with me, please Chlo?”

The redhead returns her smile, then nods slowly as she carefully sits down on their bed, Beca immediately turning on her side and making room for Chloe behind her. As soon as the older woman has her arms wrapped around Beca’s waist, she lets out a content and sleepy sigh, snuggling a little closer to Chloe’s body. 

“Chloe?” She asks, after a few minutes of laying together in silence.

 “Yeah, becs?”

 “Are uh- are you falling for me too?” The alcohol is starting to wear off, and suddenly she feels nervous. What if Chloe doesn’t, and she has just made the biggest mistake of her life and ruined their friendship.

 “No.”

Her heart clenches painfully in her chest. Oh my god. What had she done? How could she be so stupid? Just as she is about to pull away from Chloe and get some space, the redhead just pulls her tighter against her and presses a kiss to her shoulder.

“I just mean, I wouldn’t say ‘ _falling_ ’, Beca. I’ve been in love with you since day one.”

The brunette smiles, her heart full of emotions right now, then grabs Chloe’s hand that was resting on her stomach and intertwines their fingers. 

“Hey Chlo?”

“Yes?”

“Will you make me pancakes with maple syrup tomorrow morning? I can’t reach the syrup.”


	37. The Flight - G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _One Shot: Beca & Chloe meet on a plane_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for this, this was fun! (especially after getting off a flight myself not too long ago). Based on the book ‘Can you keep a secret?’ by Sohpie Kinsella because I think the beginning is funny as hell.

Two hours and 47 minutes.

Two hours and 47 minutes is how long they had been in the air and also the last time Beca can remember having peace and quiet.

“Dude.” She then finally says, because one can only handle so much. As much as she hates interacting with others, the idea of having to live through this another 45 minutes of this is just too much. “Could you stop fidgeting, please?”

“Sorry.” The other girl says, immediately stilling her hands and feet.

“Thanks.” Beca says, then moves to put her headphones back on.

“Wait.” The redhead looks at her, her bright blue eyes meeting Beca’s darker ones. And damn if this flight wasn’t already horrible enough, now she also has to be attracted to her hot neighbor in 15A?! “What uh, what are you listening to?”

Beca rolls her eyes, because no matter how attractive the stranger is, she has been annoying her for most of the flight. “Just some music.”

The girl laughs. “Yeah, I mean, I assumed. What kind of music?”

Beca shrugs, not really feeling like talking about her music taste right now. Honestly, she was just trying to enjoy at least a little bit of quiet during this 3,5 hour flight. 

She sighs deeply, realizing that the mysterious girl is still staring at her and isn’t going to except her shrug as an actual answer. Just as she is about to open her mouth to respond though, the plane shakes and drops just the smallest bit causing her neighbor, as well as a few other passengers, to gasp and hold on tighter to their seats, clearly frightened.

The redhead reaches for Beca’s arm instinctively, squeezing her as tight as she can. 

“Dude, you’re kinda blocking my blood circulation.” Beca says as she tries to pull herself free; it doesn’t work though, the redhead only moving closer to her as the seatbelt lights come on.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” a voice comes from the aircraft’s speaker, “we’re experiencing some unexpected turbulence. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts.”

Beca rolls her eyes and leans back in her seat as she casually puts her seatbelt on again. It’s nothing she hasn’t experienced before, having been on many flights in her 19 years on earth. But then she looks over to her right, painfully aware how the other girl is still squeezing her arm. All the color seems to have drained from her face. 

“Shit,” She curses under her breath, before turning sideways in her seat so that she can look at her. “Hey uh, for real, are you okay?”

The other girl doesn’t answer, just keeps on staring straight ahead, her leg now nervously bouncing on the floor again.

“I’m Beca.” She tries, figuring it’s best to start easy. “What’s your name?”

It’s quiet for a few seconds, but then the redhead answers, her voice soft and unsteady. “Chloe.”

“Okay, well, Chloe, we’re going to be alright. You know that, right?”

Suddenly, in the blink of a moment, the redhead starts talking. Really talking.

“So one time when I was eight I had to pee really, really bad in the middle of the night but the bathroom was downstairs and I was too tired so I just peed in the cat’s litter box which was in the hallway.”

Beca’s eyes focus on the other girl, not quite sure what she just heard. “What the-“

“And then one time I went on a date to the movies but the guy was totally not interested in me and in the end he left without even looking at me and I honestly think he forgot I was there.”

The brunette can’t help but laugh a little at that. “Dude, I’m sorry. Guys suck.”

Chloe nods in response, but doesn’t otherwise acknowledge that Beca is there. She’s still staring straight ahead, holding onto her seat (and the brunette’s arm) as tightly as she can.

“In high school, everyone thought that I broke my ankle while falling down the stairs but I was actually dancing along to a Beyonce song alone in my room and fell over.”

The brunette is definitely laughing now, and she can tell that some other people are looking their way too. Chloe doesn’t seem aware of how the turbulence as stopped, and Beca feels like interrupting her right now is just going to make the situation worse.

“…and I don’t think my parents ever found out that it wasn’t the same goldfish but now they think they have some kind of superhero goldfish who’s crazy old and I’m super scared they’re going to try to get into some kind of world record book and it’s not even the same fish.”

Beca laughs again, turning in her seat again to watch as Chloe keeps on talking. A flight attendant walks by and asks her if everything’s okay, and if Chloe needs some water to calm down. The brunette just shakes her head, saying that it’s probably best to let Chloe keep on going, seeing as how it’s distracting her just fine.

“…so I just pretended to like his music too but I really honestly hate it and I sort of like singing acapella and now I’m going to go to college and I don’t even know if they’ll have a group or something.”

“…we only kissed because it was a dare but I sort of liked it because her lips were just so soft and then I couldn’t stop staring at her for months after and I think I might be bi but I’m not sure and I definitely want to do more experimenting in college.” 

“...I didn’t mean to but I just wanted to watch the new episode so badly and it’s not like the sex was any good either way. I don’t even think he noticed, I mean the TV was behind him and it’s not like he was focused on me or something.”

“...I know that I shouldn’t expect some knight in shining armor, right? Or knightess? Whatever that is. I know it’s not realistic. But some part of me just wants that, you know? I want to be swept of my feet and have some kind of crazy romantic, passionate romance that makes me feel unsure and sure at the same time with someone I can just connect with and just.. I don’t know.. something exciting. Sometimes I feel like I just-“

“Chloe.”

Beca finally interrupts, her hand placed on top of Chloe’s that’s still holding onto her.

“What?” She asks, finally looking at Beca. “What is it?”

“We’ve landed.”

“We’ve landed?”

Beca smiles, then nods at her. Finally, Chloe’s mouth closes and she lets go of Beca’s arm, clearly confused as to how this happened.

“We’re not.. you know.. falling out of the sky.”

The brunette laughs. “We stopped falling out of the sky a while ago, to be honest.”

Chloe looks at her then, and for the first time, Beca feels as if she’s really seeing her, not just looking straight through her. “Oh my god,” She then says, “I’m so sorry. You.. I.. you should have stopped me.”

The brunette smirks. “I don’t think I could have if I wanted to. Besides, it kept you distracted.”

Chloe ducks her head, following Beca along as they get their stuff and start to get out of the plane. “Seriously, I’m so embarrassed. I don’t normally do stuff like this..”

“You mean tell a complete stranger all your secrets?”

The redhead nods. “Yeah.”

“I can pretend I didn’t hear, if you want me too.”

Chloe chuckles and shakes her head. “No, I mean, the goldfish story had to come out eventually.”

Beca laughs at that, following Chloe along to the belt to collect their suitcases. She’s not sure why they’re still walking together, but for some reason, she doesn’t feel like parting from her just yet.

“Oh that’s uh- that’s me.” Chloe gestures towards a large suitcase. She steps forward to reach for it, but Beca beats her to it. “I got it.”

“Thanks.” Chloe responds, blushing slightly.

In the second that it takes Beca to get Chloe’s bag and hand it to her, she notices the tag on the suitcase. “Wait.” She says, her eyes widening slightly.

“Is your name Chloe Beale?”

Chloe frowns, then nods slowly. “Uh, yes. Why?”

“And you’re going to Barden?” Beca then asks, pointing at the sticker of the Universities' logo on Chloe’s suitcase.

Again, Chloe nods, somewhat afraid of where Beca is heading with this.

“Uh.. so.. not to make your situation even worse or more awkward, but I think you’re my roommate.” 

This time it’s Chloe’s eyes who widen, almost bulging out of her head as she stares at her suitcase and then at Beca. “You’re Rebeca?!”

The brunette nods, then smiles. “I guess we can skip the ‘get to know your roommate part’ of the introduction week, huh?”

“Oh my god, this is horrible.” Chloe answers, her cheeks turning into a nice shade of deep red.

“Trust me,” Beca says, adding a wink to it, “I think we’ll get along just fine.”


End file.
